The scene in The Close off Downs Road, Canterbury during the operation to capture the two dogs after the attacks in January. Picture: Chris Davey.

A court has ordered that two rottweilers which mauled a flock of sheep should be put down.

The carnage wreaked by Scooby and Angel in a field off Downs Road, Canterbury, on two separate days in January, resulted in 20 sheep dying or having to be put down.

Two men have admitted sheep worrying and have been ordered to pay £5,500 compensation to the farmer, while magistrates in Thanet have ordered the dogs to be destroyed.

But the dogs, which belong to 41-year-old John Arlott, of Pine Tree Avenue, in Canterbury, may be spared death. An appeal against their destruction has been lodged.

Farmer Billy Pynn, who owned the sheep, is urging the court to reject the appeal.

“Those dogs would have killed a child if one had been there that day, they were in a frenzy,” said 45-year-old Mr Pynn, who lives with his family in Pope Street, Chilham.

“The whole thing was horrendous.”

Mr Pynn (pictured right at the time of the attacks), rents the field at Downs Road and lost 18 ewes and two lambs. The attacks cost him £5,500.

There were two separate attacks against the sheep – one on Saturday, January 10 and one on Thursday, January 15.

Instead of seizing the dogs after the first attack, police released them and they returned to the field five days later with Arlott’s friend Robert McClean, 45.

Arlott, who admitted allowing his rottweilers to worry sheep on January 10, must pay half the compensation plus £1,971 in Kent Police kennel fees and £100 court costs.

McClean, 45, of Badgers Close in Blean, admitted being in charge of the dogs on January 15. He must pay the same amount in compensation and costs.

Mr Pynn added: “I can’t believe the police let them have the dogs back after the first attack. I’ve half a mind to sue them over this.

“But worse still is the fact that we’ve received a letter saying that if they decide they won’t or can’t pay the compensation, we could receive nothing because they will spend a short time in prison instead.

“This is mine and my family’s livelihood.”

Father-of-four Mr Pynn suffered a heart attack two weeks after the last incident and spent a week in hospital in Ashford. “I suppose it all got on top of me,” he said.

Police have issued a warning to dog owners in light of the attacks. Det Con Neil Martin said: “I hope that these compensation orders and the fact that the dogs may have to be destroyed will send a warning out to all dog owners.”