A RETIRED Yorkshire Dales shepherd has been banned from being alone with dogs after he failed to stop his own dogs worrying other farmers’ sheep.

Abdul Shakoor, prosecuting, told York Crown Court that two of Barrie Iveson Liddle’s sheepdogs held 30 of his neighbour’s Swaledale ewes against a wall and when one sheep made a break for it the dogs ran after it grabbing at its legs.

It was the ninth time Liddle had breached a criminal behaviour order (CBO) which forbid him to take his dogs onto private land without the owner’s consent or let them stray on private or public land including roads.

He also had nine previous convictions for his dogs worrying sheep. The sheep belonged to six farmers.

Liddle, 77, of Old Church Lane, Pateley Bridge, Nidderdale, admitted nine breaches of the order and was given a 12-month community order with mental health treatment and rehabilitative activities. The CBO was extended to add the ban on being alone with dogs.

For him, Holly Betke said keeping dogs and farming was the only life he knew.