A £5,000 reward has been offered for any information on the disappearance of 31 Beltex sheep stolen from an Aberdeenshire field earlier this week.

The pedigree sheep, taken from a field near Kemnay late on Sunday 8 March, belong to Rory Gregor, who has taken to social media in the hope of tracking down his missing flock.

So far no one has come forward so Mr Gregor’s friend and fellow sheep breeder, Stuart Wood, has offered the £5,000 reward for information leading to the return of the animals.

See also: Young farmer describes ‘torture’ of losing 31 sheep

Mr Wood, who is also a full-time fireman, said the entire Beltex community was helping in the hunt for the sheep.

He said: “I’ve known Rory since he was 8 and he’s distraught. I just want to do anything I can to help and hopefully the reward will encourage people to come forward.”

Anyone with information on the theft should contact the police on 101.

Meanwhile, Mr Gregor has been doing his own forensic work and has established the type of trailer used to transport the sheep from the field.

“I measured the tracks and went to my local Ifor Williams dealer to discover the exact style and model of the trailer. Only one model fits the tracks and is big enough to transport 31 sheep,” he said.

“We need to know if anyone saw a trailer like this being driven on Sunday night in any direction.

“Sheep breeders have contacted me from England, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as every part of Scotland, and Facebook and Twitter posts have been shared tens of thousands of times. I really need to find these sheep which are only days away from lambing and appreciate everyone’s help and support.”

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