Covid: Shepherd Place Farm owner 'humbled' by support

Owners of a petting farm facing closure due to the coronavirus lockdown hope it can now stay open after people donated money and fostered the animals.

The lockdown forced the family-run Shepherd Place Farm in Haxey, North Lincolnshire, to close to visitors.

Owner Ted Phillips made an emotional appeal on social media saying they had reached "crisis point" and were running out of money to feed the animals.

He said it was "truly humbling how people have reached out and helped us".

Temporary homes have been found for some of the farm's animals, with people fostering many of its lizards and other reptiles, birds, alpacas, pigs, donkeys and goats.

Local farmers have given feed and money has been donated by members of the public to help the family visitor attraction keep going.

"The public has stepped up and actually fostered more than half the animals now," said Mr Phillips.

"A young kid came the other day, he brought his pocket money."

He added: "It's just been a fantastic effort from everybody and it gives us that fighting chance when we need it."

The farm's 12 staff have been placed on the national furlough scheme and it also receives £1,300 a month government support.

However, the £5,000 a month costs of caring for the animals had left the farm struggling to survive.

Mr Phillips said the upcoming school half-term and Easter holiday would usually be the busiest time of the year.

"It's tough seeing it like this after we built it up from scratch. I bought it as a field and I've built this up with my own bare hands over the last 10 years.

"It's heartbreaking because it's not our fault, but it's been taken nearly out of our hands."