Animal rights activists have stolen three lambs from the King's Sandringham Estate after they broke in to a farm to carry out an "open rescue".

Three women from the campaign group Animal Rising have been arrested on suspicion of theft after the sheep were rustled from Appleton Farm in Norfolk on Wednesday evening.

Sarah Foy, 23, Rosa Sharkey, 23 and Rose Patterson, 33 claimed the lambs were destined for slaughter as they handed themselves in to a police station in Slough, where they remain in custody.

The trio armed themselves with placards and slogans including “I rescued the King’s Sheep” at the time they surrendered to officers in Berkshire.