Two ewes and a lamb were viciously killed in horrendous dog attacks at a spot popular with walkers and families.

It is believed the same out of control dog struck twice at the Symondsbury Estate, near Bridport, over the weekend.

When staff at the estate carried out their usual checks on Saturday morning, they were horrified to find a ewe has had its throat ‘ripped out.’

They believe it was the same dog which returned the following night, when a lamb was killed and another ewe died from shock.

Fittingly, the attacks took place in the same week police were visiting beauty spots around Bridport as part of a campaign to educate dog owners following attacks on livestock.

Managing director of the Symondsbury Estate, Wendy Botwright, said the attacks were ‘horrific’ and have left everyone at the estate ‘devastated.’

“We are all very sad about this,” said Ms Botwright. “This is not a commercial herd and we purposely made these sheep very friendly as we get many children and families here. They’re very tame. One ewe had its throat ripped out, leaving a lamb without a mum. When we found the lamb there was hardly anything left and the other ewe died of shock.

“We want to make people aware that they must keep their dog on a lead. This has been quite devastating.”

Staff at the estate are now increasing the number of checks they carry out and are urging dog owners to act responsibly.

A message posted on social media by the Symondsbury Estate states: ‘We love being home to permissive walking trails for visitors to freely use and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Symondsbury. In order to keep these open, all livestock must be respected.’

“We hope this does not happen again,” added Ms Botwright. “It’s horrendous and very sad.”

Livestock worrying – which cost farmers more than £1m last year, according to NFU Mutual – is a criminal offence.

The penalty can be six months in prison and a £1,000 fine. In an effort to remind dog owners of their responsibilities, Dorset Police Rural Crime Team has joined forces with Bridport police to erect warning signs in key areas.

The rural crime team said: “PCSO Tom Balchin from our team and PCSO Alex Bishop from Bridport police have been carrying out our ongoing campaign to erect warning signs and educate dog owners of their responsibilities when walking their dogs in the countryside.

“We were also reminding people to make sure they don’t leave any valuables behind in vehicles when going for a walks as the thieves will and do strike at these locations.

“In west Dorset we visited 25 locations which are popular with dog walkers and other locations where there have been recent attacks.”

As reported in the News, west Dorset has seen several horrific attacks in recent months. In June, a ewe was savaged in a vicious attack at Kennon Farm in Burton Bradstock. Prior to that, four lambs were killed and a ewe chased off a cliff by an out-of-control dog in the Golden Cap area.

If you would like some signage for land where footpaths cross land, send the team an email to ruralcrimeteam@dorset.pnn.police.uk

Signs are only available to members of Dorset Farm or Horse Watch. To register for Farm or Horse Watch visit dorsetalert.co.uk