Concerns have been raised over an attempt to rustle cattle in the Poyntzpass area.
The incident happened in the Fourtowns School Road area some time on Thursday night or during the early hours of Friday morning.
One local farmer has urged others to be on high alert for thieves targeting cattle in fields.
A series photos were posted on behalf of the farmer on social media; the farmer first noticed a shoe tied to the gate while he was checking up on his own animals.
He also claimed to have have seen spray paint on the same gate a few days beforehand.
The post read: “This seems to be a tactic when they are scouting for easy friendly animals to load quickly for getting away.”
Tyre tracks and meal spill over the road, coupled with the fact the cattle have physical scrapes and sores, suggest there was a legitimate attempt to remove them from the field.
The post added: “If anyone has spotted anything around the Fourtowns School Road area please get in touch. Any information or home security footage in the area of unknown vehicles will assist with investigation over the last few days.”
