POLICE are searching for poachers who are believed to be responsible for killing pregnant deer on a North-East nature reserve.

About half a dozen deer, including two which are thought to have been pregnant, have been found dead on the Ferryhill Carrs nature reserve, County Durham, in the last week.

Officers believe men are taking their lurchers to kill them as some kind of hobby or that the animals are having their guts removed with a view to them then being butchered.

PC Kevin Hall, rural liaison officer at Durham Police, said: “This has happened in the last week. Two deer have potentially been pregnant and one had been fully gutted as if it is going to be butchered.

“The people doing this don’t realise they might be killing not one but two deer if the animal is pregnant.

“Some of the deer have been killed but then they have been left as if the poachers were going to butcher them but have been disturbed.

“It is a nature reserve so wild animals are encouraged so it brings in the foxes and the deer but this then brings in the poachers.”

Police are now appealing for information to help them catch those responsible.

PC Hall said: “This is the first time it has come to my attention here. It is a countrywide problem but it is a bit of a new problem to here. We need to highlight it and we are going to work with the community.

“Somebody will know who is behind this and will be able to tell us what they are up to. We are encouraging people to report it to us.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call PC Hall on 101 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.