Warning: This article contains graphic images

A bag containing the “severely mutilated” remains of a sheep has been found in a village, just days after dogs savaged livestock there.

The gruesome discovery was made in Otford Lane, Halstead, near Sevenoaks on Thursday afternoon.

The sheep did not have any spot markings on its fur – usually an indication of ownership – and it is not yet known how the bag came to be dumped where it was.

It contained the animal’s skin and intenstines.

Clive Jones came across the grisly find.

He said: “This sheep is 99% certain to have been taken from a field and had its throat slit to bleed it out.

“In the bag were the entrails, the stuff you don’t want, and you would think somebody has stolen a sheep, killed it and dumped it.

“What is interesting here is that there was no head in the bag – in some cultures, it is the most important delicacy of the whole feast.

“The taking of individual sheep that are killed in such a way, seen as cheap meat for somebody, is horrible.”

It comes in the same week another Halstead farmer saw three of his livestock attacked and ultimately killed by a dog on his land.

Robbie Woods was left devastated after he came across the bloody scene at his farm in Station Road and begged dog walkers to stay off his fields and keep their dogs under control.

Mr Jones has an extensive background in the animal industry and says that while the findings were not necessarily shocking to him, the community had been left pretty hard hit by recent events.

He said: “The reaction in the village has been pretty horrified, though some of the local farmers know they have to be on their guard all the time.

“It could have been killed 30 or 40 miles away and just dumped in the lane – no local farmers to my knowledge have come forward.

“I don’t think it is linked to this week's earlier case of the dog attack – it’s two different types of scenario.

“But regardless it is callous, it would have caused the sheep pain and suffering and somewhere out there a farmer is missing part of their livestock.”

RSPCA Chief Inspector Nicholas Wheelhouse said: "This was a shocking and bizarre discovery – and clearly something untoward has happened here.

"The poor sheep's body was found severely mutilated. Perhaps someone had got the meat they wanted from the sheep and then wanted to get rid of the body.

"It beggars belief anyone thought it acceptable to dump an animal's body in a bag by the road like this. Sadly, it acts as a reminder how little regard some people have for animals.

"Anyone with information about this incident can contact our inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018."

When asked for comment, Kent Police stated it had not received any calls linking to the discovery.