Three women from Animal Rising to appear in court accused of stealing lambs from King’s Sandringham Estate in West Newton

Three women will appear in court after being charged with theft and animal welfare offences after three lambs were taken from the King’s Sandringham Estate.

It comes after reports that the lambs had been stolen from a field in West Newton by animal rights activists in May.

Police have said that Sarah Foy, 23, of North Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire; Rose Patterson, 34, of Homerton High Street, London; and Rosa Sharkey, 23, of Mayville Estate, London, have today each been charged with:

- One count of stealing three lambs from a farm in West Newton between May 24 and 25

- Three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between May 24 and 25

- Three counts of failing to record movement of an animal on May 24

The women have been released on police bail to appear at Lynn Magistrates' Court on September 28.

It comes after a trio from the group Animal Rising filmed themselves taking the lambs from Appleton Farm.

They drove off with the animals which they claimed were destined for slaughter.

The women said they had "rescued" the sheep to allow them to "live their lives to the fullest".

They then handed themselves into local police, who arrested them on suspicion of theft.