ANIMAL activists are visiting Dorset farms and offering to ‘rescue’ livestock, police say.

Officers have spoken to farmers, game suppliers and butchery owners after a number of incidents in rural areas across the county.

In a direct call to those affected, PCSO Tom Balchin of Dorset Police’s rural crime team said: “If you have discovered trespassers on your premises asking to buy livestock to ‘rescue’, found them filming your farm or any other similar incident, please do report it to Dorset Police as soon as possible.

“There are currently a few individuals who are carrying out these activities and are causing alarm and distress to our farming community.

“We need to know what is happening so we can take action and build intelligence on who is doing this.”

Anyone wishing to make such a report should email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or visit dorset.police.uk

“If there have been threats made to come back, or if the individuals are believed to be still in the area, call 101,” PCSO Balchin said.

“If you are threatened at the time or catch individuals in an criminal act, such as causing damage to locks or fences to gain access or attempting to take any livestock, then call 999 immediately.”

He urged witnesses to take vehicle registrations and make a note of the descriptions of those involved if safe to do so.

“If you have photos or film footage please also ensure this is passed to us to help identify the people involved,” he said.

“Without your reports, we will not be aware of what is happening, the extent and frequency. This activity may also be linked to recent livestock thefts, hence the urge to please report information to us.”

Earlier this year, animal rights group PETA wrote to Mason’s butchers in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth to ask owner Pat Jenkins if she’d consider becoming Britain’s first all-vegan butcher. Pat had said she feared her business could close due to the demise of the high street and the rise in veganism.

The group also asked the parish council in Wool to change the name of the Dorset village to ‘Vegan Wool’ to "promote kindness to sheep" and to inspire local people to seek out cruelty-free clothing. The suggestion was rejected, and the council pointed out that the 1,000-year-old village had actually been named after the Anglo Saxon word for a spring, as in a well.