Shocked police find sheep in car boot after pulling driver over for running red light

Police who pulled a driver over for running a red light were shocked to find a sheep in the boot of the car they were driving.

Leicestershire Police said the ewe was in good health after it was found standing up in the boot of the Peugeot when it was pulled over in Loughborough on Good Friday (April 2).

The driver and passenger in the car claimed the animal was bought legitimately, but police have launched an investigation. The Peugeot was also seized after officers found it had no insurance and MOT.

Revealing the surprise discovery on Leicestershire and Rutland Crime team’s Facebook page, the force said: "The vehicle ran a red light and so drew officers attention to it.

"The car was seized as it had no MOT or insurance and the ewe has been safely recovered and is in good health.

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"The driver and passenger will be spoken to in the near future in a police interview.

"Enquiries are ongoing to locate the owner to identify where it’s come from, despite an account from those involved claiming it was legitimately purchased."

The force said until an owner of the ewe was identified, they could not 'charge' the suspects with an offence.

It added: "We know this is an emotive subject and it’s one that we will be properly addressed as the investigation unfolds. We will be speaking to DEFRA next week using the ear tag numbers."

The force urged anyone who thinks the ewe might belong to them to get in touch, saying that person would need to prove ownership of the animal.

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