Dog owners who walk their pets through fields that have livestock have been issued with a warning to keep their animals on a lead.

This follows an attack which saw two dogs kill a sheep in a village near Huddersfield.

PC Caroline Newsome issued the advice after she was called out to a report of a sheep being worried by two dogs in a field between Honley and Meltham on Wednesday morning.

The officer said that when she arrived at the scene, she found a badly injured sheep which sadly died around 20 minutes later.

She also said that she spoke to the "absolutely distraught" owner of the dogs who explained that they had been let off the lead and had just ran off.

PC Newsome posted the grisly finding on Twitter and said the incident highlighted the need to keep dogs on a lead around livestock as even the friendliest of dogs can sometimes attack livestock "when instinct kicks in".

The ward officer for Kirkburton and Denby Dale at West Yorkshire Police confirmed that the dogs will NOT be put down and that the dogs seemed "very friendly" after the incident.

The owner of the dogs has since agreed to pay the farmer £300 in compensation and to abide by a 'community resolution', an order which is an out-of-court agreement and does not result in a criminal record.

As part of the order the dog owner in question will be asked to walk her dogs on a lead in the area in future.

This has lead to questions about the rules surrounding farmers shooting dogs who trespass on their land and 'worry' their live stock.

What is 'worrying'?

According to Warwickshire Police , worrying means attacking or chasing livestock in a way that may reasonably be expected to cause injury or suffering to the livestock or, in the case of females, abortion, or loss of or diminution in their produce.

What is the legislation?

The legislation that tackles this issue is the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

It states: "If a dog worries livestock on any agricultural land, the owner of the dog, and, if it is the charge of a person other than the owner, that person also shall be guilty of an offence under this Act."

Can dog owners be fined?

Yes - a maximum fine of £1,000 can be issued.

Are farmers allowed to shoot dogs who trespass on their land?

Under Section 9 of the Animals Act 1971, the owner of livestock, the landowner or anyone acting on their behalf, is entitled to shoot any dog if they believe it is the only reasonable way of stopping it worrying livestock.

If this does happen, the incident must be reported to police within 48 hours by calling 101.

Does this apply to all dogs?

Some dogs are exempt from the legislation.

It does not apply to a dog owned by or in charge of the occupier of the field or enclosure or the owner of the sheep or a person authorised by either of those persons.

Police dogs, guide dogs, trained sheep dogs, a working gun dog or a pack of hounds are also exempt.