A NEW entrant farmer has issued a warning to dog owners about the impact dog worrying can have on a farmer's life.

Alister Orr, 38, of High Garleffan Farm, Cumnock, lost 36 in-lamb ewes in February this year after a sheep worrying incident on his grass let outside Ayr.

Nine of the sheep were mauled to death by the dogs, while the remaining 27 drowned after being chased down a nearby river.

The owner of the dogs has since been issued a fine of £12,000.

Mr Orr claimed the loss of the pedigree Texel and Blackface sheep had cost him thousands of pounds.

"Due to the length of time NFU Mutual have taken to sort out my claim, I have had to lay out £2850 for grazing, which I have not had the use of.

"I am 62 lambs down on my 2015 lamb crop, and I have worked out an average price of £52 per head, if I had had them to sell fat.

"This cost of £3224, plus the grazing I had to pay for, means I am down by £6074 this year," he explained.

Mr Orr claimed he has not received payment from NFU Mutual, even though his insurance policy included sheep worrying, and the attack happened in February.

He said: "NFU Mutual have really been dragging their feet over my claim, and they have never really given me an explanation as to why it has taken them so long.

"The owner has now been fined for the damage caused, so in my eyes the case is closed, and I have given NFU Mutual a week to pay out on my claim."

Even though Mr Orr is covered for the attack, he will only be reimbursed for the ewes he lost, not the lambs, so will not make back the entire amount of money he claims to have lost.

He continued: "I just want dog owners to realise the impact an incident like this can have on a farmer's life, and the amount of money it can cost.

"It's been a difficult summer, and the sheep worrying was a severe blow.

It has interfered terribly with my enterprise!"

NFU Mutual responded to Mr Orr's claim, and said: “We’ve been waiting for information from the policyholder about the sheep, which are the subject of the claim.

"This information was received on August 30, which means we can now proceed to settle the claim.”