THE FAMILY of a 12-year-old sheep dog who died after colliding with a motorcyclist have told of their heartache and worry.

On Sunday, April 18, Elaine Lanchbury says the family sheepdog Jess was ran over and killed by a rider who failed to stop at the scene.

Jess, having just done a usual morning’s sheep herding, had been sitting at the entrance to a field belonging to Parc y Brain Farm in Goytre, when the motorcyclist allegedly ran over her while looking in the opposite direction [towards a fellow rider].

Ms Lanchbury has now called for more to be done, saying she often sees motorcyclists “tearing down narrow paths” in the area, and says in some ways she feels fortunate it was her dog that was killed, rather than a young child.

“This road [Parc y Brain Lane] is so busy on a nice day, especially in lockdown,” she explained. “It’s scary to think what could happen here if this continues.

“We often have young children outside looking at the lambs, and this could have been one of those kids.”

A Facebook status Ms Lanchbury posted on Sunday reads: “A group of about four off-road motorcycles just ripped up the lane like idiots, pulling wheelies and ran over our sheep dog.

"They rode past like fools and swerved into the gateway, killing Jess. They didn’t even have the decency to stop.

"It happened right in front of my son Harry. We are heartbroken."

The post has now been shared almost 4.5k times.

“It’s clear this has hit a nerve, we’re a bit blown away by the reaction,” she explained.

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“But it’s important because we want to collect information on what happened to our Jess.”

Describing Jess, she said: “She was loyal, loving, intelligent, brilliantly trained. She was just an all-rounder – and much more than a pet. She was part of our family and we’ll miss her dearly.

“Her daughter May, who is on the farm with us, is in distress and isn’t eating.”

Elaine added she has since found nearby CCTV footage of the riders and has shared images of them online.

"These people are believed to be local to the Goytre/Penperlleni area," she said.

"They rode into the village along Plough Road. Someone must know who they are."

A Gwent Police spokesman said: “We’re investigating a report of criminal damage in Goytre at around 12pm on Sunday 18 April, after the death of a dog.

“Four people were seen riding off-road bikes in Park Y Brain Lane and one of the riders reportedly collided with a sheepdog.

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information that could assist our investigation, or has CCTV or dashcam footage, is asked to call Gwent Police on 101, quoting log reference 2100133990.

“You can also contact us via social media on Facebook and Twitter or you can report any information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”