A farmer was distraught after two of his prized alpacas were mauled to death by a pair of loose Staffordshire bull terriers.

Robert Reeve, 72, of Goodwin Alpacas at Smallhythe, went to check on half of his herd in a field by the Chapel Down vineyard when he made the gruesome discovery.

He said: “I was fairly distressed really; to come down and find two animals dead is the last thing you expect first thing in the morning.

“There were two dogs in the field and it was last year’s babies, two of them, that were killed.”

“One was garotted and with the other one they had punctured his head and he had to be put down.”

Mr Reeve, who worked as a farmer and a trade haulier, started the alpaca farm with his wife Robin in 2004 as a hobby in their retirement.

They started with four pregnant females, but now have about 50 alpacas, which they use for breeding. They also sell their fibre, which is used for clothing.

Mr Reeve said: “I cannot tell you how devastating it was for my wife and I to see the two cria (baby alpacas) lying there, one dead, the other just about alive. We had to wait for the vet to put him down.”

Although the alpacas, worth about £2,500, were insured, Mr Reeve said the female was part of a breeding programme.

He said: “We, like most other breeders, are looking to improve the quality of the fibre. To do this we have again invested in better herd sires.

“The female would have either joined our herd, or would be sold for breeding.

“She had a fabulous fleece, and this is the thing, while we are fortunate to have the vets, cremation, and a value paid by our insurance company, we shall never reap the reward of the improvement in her fleece we were trying for.”

Although Mr Reeve cannot stop dog owners going through the field as there is a public right of way, he has placed signs asking people to keep their dogs on leads in the future.

After the deaths, police were called and are investigating whether prosecution is possible because alpacas may not be officially classified as livestock.

The owner of the dogs has been traced and has been reported for summons for allowing the dogs to be dangerously out of control.

Spokesman Jon Green said: “Kent Police is investigating the attack and looking into what action can be taken against the owner of the dogs. We are working with the farmer and keeping him informed and updated as the investigation continues.”