A thug holding a lifeless hen was caught on camera after 18 chickens were brutally slaughtered at a farm in Fife.
The image showing the hooded figure was taken from a doorbell camera around the time a chicken enclosure was raided at Easter Cartmore Farm in Lochgelly.
A decapitated bird was found on the doorstep.
Dead birds were found discarded in a number of neighbouring gardens and driveways following the sick rampage.
Janet McPherson, who has lived on the farm for around 40 years, said: “They’re evil, whoever has done this.
“I feel distraught about it.”
She discovered her hens were missing when she checked on the chicken enclosure at around 6.30am on Sunday.
“There weren’t any chickens. I thought that maybe the fox had got in,” she said.
“Then I looked about to see if there were any feathers.”
Mrs McPherson said she realised the culprit could not have been a fox when she noticed that a box containing duck eggs, which a hen had been brooding, had disappeared.
“The brooding hen was taken in its box with the eggs. That’s why I knew it wasn’t a fox.”
Police Scotland confirmed it was investigating the incident, which happened overnight between Saturday and Sunday, and officers were following a positive line of inquiry.
Sergeant Donald Sutherland, of Cowdenbeath Police Station, said: “Our inquiries are ongoing and we would ask anyone with CCTV footage in the area or who may have information that could assist with our investigation to contact police.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting incident 0865 of May 3.
