The Scotch blackface lamb was lucky to survive the barbaric ordeal after the 10 inch bolt missed its heart by just three inches.

Alan Wilson has described the callous attack, in which the rod ripped through the animal's chest, as the worst thing he has encountered in 42 years of shepherding at Harehope Farm.

Alan, 61, said: "It is unbelievable. What kind of thugs are they?

"This has been done on purpose. A crossbow job is not an accident."

Alan made the gruesomediscovery last Tuesday, when he was feeding the animals.

He said: "There was red and yellow in the fleece of the lamb. I couldn't believe what I saw.

"The arrow was about 10 inches long and it was sticking outside the wool. It had gone right through the sheep's chest.

"The pointed end was sticking out of one side and the feathered end the other. I expected a lamb with an arrow through it like that would have been dead.

"Luckily, whoever did it was off-target. If it had been three inches higher up it would have hit the heart."

The shocking incident took place on the moorland farm at Hepburn Moor. It is believed to have occurred between Monday, November 24, and Tuesday, November 25. Those connected with Harehope Farm are sure it occurred during daylight hours.


But the attack has also raised fears about poaching.

Philip Harkness, farm manager at Harehope, said: "I have not had any known incidents of animals being injured before.

"But they might have been killed in the past and then taken away."

Philip, who described the attack as 'sickening', added: "These animals are our livelihoods. It just beggars belief that anybody can do such a thing."

The stricken lamb was taken to Alnorthumbria Vets in Alnwick to have the missile removed.

It was also given antibiotics and is now recovering from its ordeal.

Vet Claire Riddell, who removed the bolt from the lamb, said: "It is the luckiest sheep in the world.

"The bolt missed everything vital and went through the skin and fat at the bottom of the chest."

But she hit out at whoever launched the brutal attack. "It is just appalling," she said. "It could be poaching but it is more worrying if it was a random act of cruelty."

Police are investigating the incident, which they have described as serious.

Forensic officers scoured the scene while the bolt was taken for DNA examination.

Inspector Sue Peart said: "I am absolutely sickened by this. If this is somebody's idea of fun then I think they need some help.

"And if somebody could do this to a helpless animal my concern is that they could do it to a human being."

She made an appeal to the public to help police catch those responsible.

"I am sure there are members of the public who have information which will help us.