A Frenchman out walking in the countryside was killed by ‘an aggressive sheep’, detectives confirmed today. Police investigating the death of the 94-year-old came to the macabre conclusion after examining his wounds. His corpse was found by the side of an isolated footpath near the village of Cestas, south of Bordeaux, on Monday afternoon.

There were wounds across his face and body, and a notoriously violent sheep was seen lurking nearby.

The criminal forensics experts now believe the sheep charged the man with his head, knocked him to the ground, and then trampled him to death using his hooves.

Sud Ouest, the local newspaper, confirmed that a number of people had seen the ‘aggressive sheep’, and that a local politician was also a victim.

She suffered a fracture and heaving bruising after approaching the animal in the wake of the attack, when she was visiting the dead man’s family in Cestas.

A police spokesman confirmed that the sheep was later ‘rounded up’ and has since been put down.