Cumbrian sheep farmer Pip Simpson has painted his 800-strong flock of sheep luminous orange in a bid to detract thieves from stealing them.

Rustling

In the last four years Pip estimates that he has lost hundreds of his flock to sheep rustlers, which has led him to taking this rather odd yet innovative security measure.

The 50 year-old hopes by colouring his sheep it will make them less desirable to thieves and put an end to his stock being fleeced.

On top of providing extra security to his sheep whilst they are out on the hillside, the ‘Umpa Loompa’ sheep (as ITV termed them) are drawing in tourists from all over the UK hoping to catch a glimpse of the colourful animals!

If you haven’t taken a trip up to Cumbria yet, the sheep will remain orange until shearing next summer.

Prevention

There is plenty of logic in Pip’s decision and also no harm to the sheep – just a little embarrassment maybe among fellow flocks!

“Over the last four years we will have had towards 300 sheep go missing or pinched so we’ve had this constant problem with never being able to stop it,” he told thewestmorelandgazzetee.co.uk.

“The only solution we could find was to make them completely different to everybody else’s so they’ve been sprayed luminous orange. It’s just a dye – there’s no chemicals or anything and it’s not going to harm them at all.

“It’s as if they’ve been Tango-ed, they’re literally luminous orange.

“We’re hoping this will deter thieves because if they did get pinched they’re bright orange and somebody is going to wonder where they’ve come from. It’s a massive problem is sheep theft. As sad as it is, it’s probably someone local who knows the area that’s doing it.”

As one of the UK’s leading buyers of British wool, Standard Wool supports Pip’s outside of the box thinking, although the wool might have to be washed back to its normal colour before being sold on!

Revolutionary?

Sadly, Pip isn’t the first UK farmer to turn his sheep orange. In 2011, Dartmoor farmer John Heard did the same to his flock and he believes that it has had a positive effect on tackling rustlers.

“It seems to have stopped the problem for us,” he said. “We seemed to be the ones targeted here for losing sheep for whatever reason, but when they stand out people have a job moving them. If people start turning up with orange sheep other people know where they come from and then they can’t be sold.”

Although there is a fun element to Pip’s story, sheep rustling is a serious issue in the north west of England with rural crime costing £4m in 2015, with livestock theft being the fourth most committed crime.

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