A newborn calf was stolen from a Brighton farm by a woman who enlisted the help of two unsuspecting delivery drivers to load it into her car before driving away.
The calf’s mother, who lives with the rest of Stuart West’s herd at Bevendean Farm, has since been wandering around the field the calf was taken from looking for it in vain.
The theft happened last Tuesday, 7 May, when the woman told the drivers the calf was ill and she needed to take it to the vets.
But no local vets have seen it, and Mr West believes it is probably now in her freezer.
He said: “The calf was just a day old. It’s ridiculous, I can’t believe it’s happened.
“I thought it was bad enough that someone’s taken it because they thought it was poorly. But now I think someone’s taken it for the freezer.
“I think the woman stopped the Curry’s delivery drivers and said this calf in the field is poorly and she needed to take it to the vet. So they helped her lift the calf up into the car.
“Their next delivery was on the farm, and they said what they had done and I said don’t worry because the vet will call me in a bit. But then nothing happened.
“Curry’s have told me they have dashcam in their lorry and it has some footage of the woman and her car and registration.
The mum’s going round the field wondering where her calf has gone. She circles the field calling for her baby.”
A spokeswoman for Curry’s said: “We have spoken with the farmer, Mr West, and offered to assist the police with any investigation.
“Our drivers were on a break after a delivery and were told by the woman that the calf was unwell. She said she needed help to get the calf in the car and our drivers thought they were doing a good deed.
“We are concerned for the calf’s welfare and hope it is found safe and well very soon.”
A police spokesman said: “Police are investigating the alleged theft of a new-born calf from a field at Race Hill, Bevendean, Brighton, during the afternoon of Tuesday 7 May.
“The animal, valued at £300, is believed to have been loaded into a blue car at around 1.45pm.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact police online or by phoning 101, quoting serial 892 of 07/05.”
