Silence of the Lambs: 50 lambs 'stolen' from Marlborough vineyard farm found in neighbour's paddock

Police are calling for the aid of the public after a number of lambs were stolen from a Marlborough farm. Photo / Duncan Brown

Police called for the public's help after a large number of lambs were reportedly stolen from a Marlborough farm.

However, in a dramatic turn of events the owner of the lambs found today that they had only moved to a neighbouring property where they merged with another flock.

Between July 13 and September 15, 50 lambs were reportedly stolen from Ashmore Valley Vineyard paddocks on Grahams Rd in Fairhall.

The lambs were marked with yellow tags and had Ashmore written on them.

However today, a spokesperson from Ashmore Vineyards said the lambs had never been stolen in the first place.

"The lambs had been shifted into a different block and merged with the flock there. It was not until later that the owner realised."

Marlborough Federated Farmers president Phillip Neal said he had never heard of that many lambs being stolen in the area.

"Most vineyards here have lambs in the off-season, they eat the grass and then they go prime to the works.

"They go in May and are not counted until later, some die of course and there always seems to be a few missing, from dying or from being pinched but I've never heard of that many being taken."