DROITWICH Spa's railway line was a grim scene of carnage on Monday when a train ploughed into 58 pregnant ewes.

It is believed to be the worst accident of its kind in living memory.

The track was closed for more than 13 hours after the empty passenger train killed 53 sheep instantly at 2.30am. A vet had to destroy a further five.

A total of 203 sheep escaped onto the track from Rashwood Farm, off Worcester Road, Rashwood.

Railtrack workers cleared the site and buried the mutilated carcasses on land alongside the track.

The sheep, owned by farmer John Newell, got onto the line via a public footpath gate which had been left open.

Mr Newell, of Fox Walks Farm, Grafton Lane, Bromsgrove, said after decades of farming he could not recall a similar accident killing so many animals.

The married father-of-three told the Advertiser: "It looked like a battle site.

"Unborn lambs were ripped from ewes' stomachs, animals were cut in two and innards were strewn across the ground.

"If people don't want to see such scenes when walking through the countryside they should remember to close gates."

The 52-year-old is insured and now must swiftly rebuild his stock at the cost of around £3,500.

He added: "The remaining ewes are very stressed - I hope they don't miscarry."

Rashwood Farm owner Nicholas Townsend said the gate must have been left open by careless walkers.

"My family have owned this farm for more than 50 years and I cannot remember an accident of this scale," he added.

A Railtrack spokesman said: "This is an exceptional case. We occasionally get calls about the odd animal straying onto the line, but never resulting in such a high death toll.

"The train driver is okay and the damaged train is being repaired."