A member of the public has been ordered to pay £300 compensation to a farmer following a dog attack which killed a sheep.

The incident happened on the Isle of Wight on March 14, when a dog off a lead chased sheep which were grazing in a field, before it bit and killed one.

A few days later, the dog owner visited the shepherd to apologise and offered to pay for the loss, according to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

But following a review of the evidence obtained by the force, and in consultation with the victim in this case, the dog owner - a 53-year-old woman - will pay £300 compensation.

Community resolutions are out of court disposals, meaning that offences can be dealt with following an admission of guilt by a suspect, without pursuing criminal charges or a prosecution through court.

They are issued on a case by case basis, factoring in the circumstances based on the evidence, and most importantly in line with the wishes of the victim.

Police Staff Investigator Andrew Williams said it was 'so important' to keep dogs either on leads or under close control, particularly around livestock.

“If you are walking your dog in a field and there is no livestock, please keep the dog in sight at all times, be aware of what it is doing, and be confident it will return to you promptly on command.

"If you cannot be confident of this, the dog should not be off the lead. Ensure the dog does not stray off the path or area where you have right of access.”

Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, it is a criminal offence for a dog to actively worry livestock.

It follows alarming findings from a survey by the National Sheep Association (NSA) that shows sheep farmers are experiencing an increasing occurrence of dog attacks.

In the survey of more than 300 sheep farmers, 70 per cent had experienced a sheep worrying attack in the past 12 months.

On average, three sheep deaths were reported each year per farmer as a result of dog attacks.