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Sheepish police blur faces of lambs at centre of alleged rustling | Sheepish police blur faces of lambs at centre of alleged rustling |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Social media sites have been rammed with confusion after police released blurred images of victims of crime - who happened to be sheep. | Social media sites have been rammed with confusion after police released blurred images of victims of crime - who happened to be sheep. |
The lambs' identity was "protected due to their age and vulnerability", West Midlands Police said. | The lambs' identity was "protected due to their age and vulnerability", West Midlands Police said. |
The woolly passengers were spotted after they were herded into the back of a car and driven around by suspected rustlers. | The woolly passengers were spotted after they were herded into the back of a car and driven around by suspected rustlers. |
But the subsequent image circulated by the force turned out to be a joke. | But the subsequent image circulated by the force turned out to be a joke. |
Nic Barlow commented on Facebook: "I wondered why the picture looked a bit woolly." | Nic Barlow commented on Facebook: "I wondered why the picture looked a bit woolly." |
Abbas Zen said: "It would be an animal rights issue if they didn't [blur the images]." | Abbas Zen said: "It would be an animal rights issue if they didn't [blur the images]." |
Other people were less amused by the force's sense of fun. | Other people were less amused by the force's sense of fun. |
"Police show criminal sense of humour as they release pictures of stolen sheep with pixelated faces," tweeted Solene Deplanche. | "Police show criminal sense of humour as they release pictures of stolen sheep with pixelated faces," tweeted Solene Deplanche. |
Officers said three suspected sheep rustlers found in the car near Hob Moor Road, Yardley in Birmingham were rounded up in nearby gardens - with one up a tree and another penned in a conservatory. | Officers said three suspected sheep rustlers found in the car near Hob Moor Road, Yardley in Birmingham were rounded up in nearby gardens - with one up a tree and another penned in a conservatory. |
The men aged 22, 27, and 28, were arrested on suspicion of theft, while police traced owners of the sheep. | The men aged 22, 27, and 28, were arrested on suspicion of theft, while police traced owners of the sheep. |
Jokes aside, officers said the lambs were unhurt and have been temporarily re-homed on a farm in Sheldon. | Jokes aside, officers said the lambs were unhurt and have been temporarily re-homed on a farm in Sheldon. |
Analysis: A sheepish decision? | |
By Dominic Casciani, BBC News home affairs correspondent | |
British police have guidelines over what information they reveal about victims of crime - but was there a bit of woolly thinking in the West Midlands force after journalists were given an image obscuring the faces of allegedly-rustled lambs? | |
The Data Protection Act and Article 8 of the Human Rights Act, which covers family and private life, require the police to protect personal information unless there is a good reason to release it. | |
My mint sources tell me that an officer in the case blurred the image as a joke. | |
He presumably concluded he had an obligation under the Ewe-ropean Convention on Eweman Rights to hide the poor little lambs' faces. |