NUISANCE sheep which gave villagers grief have been herded up and will be sold.
Police called in a shepherd and two sheepdogs and seized a flock of sheep after the owners continually let them roam free in the Cliffords Mesne and May Hill areas of Newent.
PC Brian Howard helped round up the sheep and transport them to a location out of the county.
The seven animals are set to be sold on after the owners refused to hand over money to cover the cost of impounding the animals. All fees incurred by police, amounting to around £300 will be paid from the money made at auction.
It comes after more than 40 reports to police from members of the public since the start of the year.
"The problem of horses and sheep roaming free in the area has been on our radar for a while, with local residents reporting animals causing an obstruction on the road and trashing gardens, fences and other property in the process," said PC Howard.
"We have a responsibility to move the animals on to the nearest piece of land and try to identify the owners.
"Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, no one has ever acknowledged ownership of the horses. But in the case of the sheep we know they have a market value and can be sold to recoup costs if necessary, so we took this action."
The sheep are understood to be owned by a family in the village but they did not wish to comment yesterday.
A villager who did not wish to be named said the sheep have been a nuisance for a long time.
"It seems like a small thing but they're out all the time, causing a danger to traffic and getting in to gardens and a lot of people have had enough," he said.