Police operation to catch a gang who killed scores of sheep near Harborough will feature on TV show

A highly-challenging police operation to catch a gang killing and butchering scores of sheep in villages near Market Harborough is to be charted in a new TV show.

Detectives swung into action after over 120 animals were killed in the seven-month rural reign of terror in 2019.

Robert Iordan, 23, Florin Nutu, 35, and Voirel Manu, 38, butchered farmers’ livestock in Clipston, Kelmarsh, Welford and Rushton as well as across Northamptonshire.

Special Ops: Crime Squad UK explores a dedicated police mission called Operation Stock.

The new documentary shows the moment the gang were arrested.

Their van was stopped by police on the A14 near Welford moments after sheep had been killed nearby.

Officers found blood-soaked butcher’s knives, a motorised air pump and nine sheep carcasses in the back of the stinking vehicle.

Det Ch Insp Johnny Campbell, of Northamptonshire Police, tells the programme: "It was something so different, not anything I've really experienced before in policing.

"The community were angry about it, farmers were contacting police saying we've got an issue here and we really need your help."

The show tells how detectives teamed up with local community police officers to crack the case.

Community Sergeant Sam Dobbs said: "We went to the scene, we saw it and we smelt it... it was just like the worst horror movie.

"Just to have to deal with that yourself but then to see the affect it had on the farmer, it was horrendous,” said Sgt Dobbs.

"This problem landed on our patch and we hadn't a clue where it had come from or why it was happening."

Picking up the story, Det Ch Insp Campbell added: "Farmers were telling us to look out for full moon nights.

“It needs to be a clear and dry night, you're not going to be under torchlight because people would see them.

"We put ourselves in the suspects' shoes and asked what they would you need,” said the senior detective.

"You're not going to do it alone, so we knew we were looking for multiple people.

“They would need a vehicle, a large vehicle that can travel on rough ground potentially a refrigerated vehicle."

Iordan, Nutu and Manu, all from Birmingham, were jailed at Northampton Crown Court in March 2020 for a total of over 11 years.

The episode of Special Ops: Crime Squad UK is being screened on channel Dave on Sunday (March 20) at 1pm and is also available on-demand.