A DEAD sheep which contaminated a caving club’s water supply could have been dumped into a storage tank deliberately, members fear.

The animal’s carcass was discovered in the water tank serving the headquarters of the Red Rose Cave and Pothole Club, Casterton, after a member turned on the tap and found wool coming out with the drinking water, which also had a “very bad” smell.

The club’s warden Rowena Magdan claimed the dead sheep could have been put in the plastic tank, which is in a field around 100m (330ft) from the club, to avoid the cost of having it disposed of legally.

Mrs Magdan said it would not have been possible for a live sheep to get into the tank on its own as the lid was weighted down with heavy boulders.

“We can’t be sure who put the sheep in there, but we’re hoping it was not a deliberate attempt to contaminate our water supply. If it was, then people who have other private water supplies need to be warned.”

For more on this story see today's The Westmorland Gazette.