POACHERS may have killed more than 20 deer, while others could still be roaming around injured, on farmland near Bewdley.

A distraught conservationist has revealed baby deer as young as three or four weeks old and a pregnant doe are among the animals which were shot at the weekend.

Initially it was reported that 15 animals had died.

But now Ed Brown, chairman of the Wyre Forest Deer Management Society, who helped recover the carcasses of 15 deer which had been shot on farmland near Kinlet, Bewdley says a gang of poachers could have “potentially killed at least 20”.

At least four fawns have been orphaned in the horrific incident.

The killings are believed to have happened over night on Friday with the bodies discovered at 9.30am on Saturday, August 4.

Three of the recovered fallow deer carcasses were fawns, aged between three and four weeks old, and one was a pregnant doe carrying a fully-grown foetus that was almost at the point of delivery.

There is also believed to be at least four orphaned fawns somewhere in the surrounding forest which may have been targeted and could be injured.

Mr Brown firmly believes a gang of poachers carried out the killings, and hunting type ammunition was found during an inspection of the carcasses.

The inspection has also shown that some of the deer had been shot multiple times.

Mr Brown said: “I have never witnessed anything on a large scale like this - it’s pretty extreme.

“The field was littered with deer, it was like something out of a war movie.

“It was a very distressing and horrible sight.

“There are four orphaned deer that will be looking for their mothers who could have been injured.

“They could have potentially killed at least 20 deer.”

A survey carried out earlier in the year revealed that more than 30 deer had previously roamed in the field and the surrounding forest.

PC Su Goddard, from West Mercia Police, wildlife officer for North Worcestershire, said: "We have launched a thorough enquiry into this incident and would appeal for anyone with information to contact us.

"At this time, we believe there is no wider risk to the public."

Anyone with information that could help police with their enquiries can call 101 and quote incident 351s of 4 August 2018.