A dog owner has been ordered to keep his dog under control after it attacked a lamb.

Timothy Paul Byrne, of May Hill, Ramsey, admitted having a dog causing a nuisance to livestock and was also ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court how, on April 14 at 9.50am, a witness saw the Irish wolfhound and great Dane on the loose ona public footpath near Crossags Farm in Ramsey.

The wolfhound was seen picking up a lamb in its mouth.

Byrne, aged 58, was in sight and the witness shouted to him to get the dogs under control.

He managed to put the dog back on its lead but the lamb was injured,.

It had blood on its chest and puncture wounds.

The lamb was taken for surgery and the court heard that it had recovered.

The court heard that the lamb and sheep had been out of their enclosure due to a broken fence.

But Byrne admitted to police it was his responsibility to be in control of his dog and offered to pay compensation to the farmer.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood said that his client and his wife regularly walked the dogs along the path from the Hairpin to Glen Auldyn.

Mr Wood said: ’The sheep in question had escaped through damaged fencing.

’ It is not unreasonable for that to be a surprise to Mr Byrne.

’He did all he could to get the dogs under control and picked up the injured lamb.

’There is no suggestion the dogs have behaved in this way before.’

Magistrates imposed a control order which means that the dog must be kept under control at all times.