A solo shepherd’s busy lambing time has been disrupted by the theft of an important piece of kit.

Katherine Watkins is currently lambing hundreds of ewes on her land in south Pembrokeshire, and her RAPPA yards – a mobile sheep handling race – was taken sometime between 6pm on Sunday, March 26 and 3pm on Monday, March 27.

Katherine, who rents up to 300 acres of land in blocks between Narberth and Saundersfoot, has now made an emotional plea for the return of the equipment.

“So to whoever took it, thanks for breaking the spirt of someone who has just done seven weeks of 20-hour days trying to be the best they can be," she posted on Facebook.

Katherine explained the importance of the equipment in her post.

She said: “My Rappa yards has been taken from a block of land located on the side road that goes off the main Pembroke road to Loveston.

“I appreciate it is only a bit of sheep equipment to most, but I am currently 3/4 the way through lambing nearly 500 ewes by myself and losing this kit is so detrimental to my business and stock management.

“I’m sure elements of exhaustion aren’t helping, but I really feel like it’s just becoming too hard!

“I now have ewes with baby lambs urgently needing to be drafted off the lambing block to go to fresh grass, and without the Rappa it’s going to be even harder.”