POSSIBLY the largest dispersal of Swaledale sheep in the North goes under the hammer tomorrow at a farm in County Durham.

Moorland belonging to Lord Lambton at Birkhott Farm, Muggleswick, is being sold for shooting, leaving tenant farmers T Bean & Sons, who have farmed the land for 21 years, with 2,500 sheep to get rid of.

Tom Oates, of George F White who are handling the sale, said: "It is very good and genuine sheep stock and there has been no known case of scrapie or abortion in the entire flock during this or the previous tenancy."

The sale begins at 1pm at Birkhott Farm.