A TOTAL of 22 ewes and lambs have been found dead in a shed in a Conwy village.

This was on a farm in Llannefydd some time between 6.30pm on February 5 and 8.30am yesterday (February 6).

It is suspected that the animals suffocated to death after being frightened by the entrance of a dog into the shed.

Police are keen to identify the dog.

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A North Wales Police spokesperson said: “The deceased animals are not showing any visible injuries such as bite marks.

“We therefore  suspect that a dog has entered the shed and panicked the large flock into a corner, resulting in a number of the animals suffocating.

“The animals must have been penned into the corner for some time.

“It is a possibility, therefore, that the dog responsible could be a working sheepdog, albeit we cannot substantiate this.

“As we have not been able to establish the identity of the dog, we are concerned that there may be further incidents, and would like to alert farmers in Llannefydd of the incident so that they can keep a close eye on their flocks.”