A PLEA has been issued to all dog walkers to keep leads on in the countryside in order to cut down the number of sheep attacks.

According to research by SheepWatch UK about 15,000 sheep are killed each year by pet dogs - ten times more than previously thought.

The increase has been described as a “worrying statistic” that impacts on farmers’ livelihoods and which the organisation says could easily be prevented if dog walkers exercised “more care”.

A spokesperson for County Durham Local Access Forum said: “At this time of year ewes are heavily in lamb which raises additional concerns of abortion due to aggravation by dogs and attacks on vulnerable lambs.

“In the past letting dogs off leads has proved fatal to sheep, lambs and other animals being farmed but it has also led to dogs being destroyed, due to the vicious nature of the attacks.”

As a result, County Durham Local Access Forum is asking dog owners to keep their animals on leads at all times when enjoying the network of paths.