Police track down suspected sheep thieves, blur animals' faces for privacy

Three sheep were discovered in the back of a van in West Midlands, UK. (West Midlands Police Department)

What began as a baaad day for three English sheep ended with shear relief.

Three suspected sheep thieves were in custody after police discovered the animals in the back of a truck, according to local law enforcement.

The West Midlands Police Department blurred the wooly animals' faces to conceal their sheepish identities.

The sheep were being transported through a suburban area on Tuesday morning in the city of Birmingham. The department said it blurred the sheep’s faces to poke fun at the bizarre incident.

Police chased the suspicious van until it hit a parked car. The suspects then abandoned the truck, though they weren’t on the lam for long. Officers tracked down two of the men in a nearby garden, while the third was found up a tree. The suspects are Romanian nationals, aged 22, 27 and 28.

“It’s not every day we recover live stolen property,” Inspector Paul Southern said.

The three sheep were found unharmed and were moved to a farm in Sheldon while police moved to track down the animals' owners.