Livestock rustlers are hitting farms across the region twice a month on average due to the soaring price of lamb – with farmers’ insurance claims this year doubling to more than £40,000.

There were 23 thefts in the first 11 months of this year in Staffordshire alone, with raiders taking an average of £1,800 worth of animals each time.

Nationally more than 65,000 sheep have been stolen this year.

In addition to sheep, hundreds of cattle and pigs and thousands of game birds have also been stolen.

Increasing thefts have put farmers’ in the region on their guard.

GA & YE Sadler of Hobble End Lane, Walsall, are having to carry out more checks on their cattle.

Farmer Yvonne Sadler said: “We go out and visit twice a day when it was just in the morning before. It is a concern.”

Farmer Richard Robinson, aged 45, of Red Brae Farm, Burntwood, discovered eight of his cattle – worth up to £600 each – had been stolen when he did his annual livestock check.

He said: “They must have been in a few times and taken one or two at a time so it’s harder to notice.

“I have grown up farming for 40 years and this has never happened before.”