Dead farm animal found 'chopped up and stuffed in bin bags' near North Shore supermarket

The dead animal - believed to be a donkey or sheep - was found near the recycling bins near Lidl on Devonshire Road, North Shore, shortly before 11am on Sunday.

Sophie Hardman, 25, who lives opposite the supermarket, was on her way back from a food shop when she noticed what looked like a pair of animal legs.

She said: "As I went past, I saw what looked like body parts. You could see its hooves and on the other side you could see part of the head of an animal. It definitely looked like a donkey - either a donkey or a sheep.

"It was definitely dead. It looked like it had been cut up. There was a large mass inside the bag and the legs looked like they had been cut straight across.

"It didn't even smell so it must have been left there recently."

The mum-of-one called the police, and officers attended the scene.

"The next minute I went to have a look and there was three police cars there, and CSI," she said. "They were there for about half an house and CSI blocked that area off. Later on the bag had gone, so I assume they took it."

A police spokesman said: "We can confirm that we have received a report of possibly a dead sheep. It was called into us around 11.04am. We attended and the RSPCA may also have been involved."

An RSPCA spokesman said: "The RSPCA is not responsible for disposing of dead animals, this would be the responsibility of the local authority, as we must prioritise animals who need our help. Having said that, we would ask people to report concerns with us if they think the circumstances of the death is suspicious."