Farmers' leaders in Northumberland and Cumbria have dismissed plans to introduce 'self-shearing' sheep into the UK.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) in the north east of England says the proposal by an Australian firm is "practically unworkable".

New South Wales-based Bioclip wants to see English sheep farmers inject animals with a special protein which makes them shed their wool.

The move has sparked fears that the art of sheep shearing will disappear in Australia.

The way we farm sheep in the north east is totally different to that in Australia

David Heming, NFU

However, the NFU says there is no danger of the tradition ending in Northumberland and Cumbria.

Bioclip director John Le Breton says more than 250,000 Australian sheep are already producing fleece by the new method, which involves attaching a net to the animal to collect the fleece.

But David Heming, NFU policy adviser, said: "I can't see this working in Northumberland and Cumbria, where we have the bulk of our hill farms.

"I think I can safely say the jobs of 50 or so sheep shearers in the area are safe."

Remove nets

Mr Le Breton said the new method is being launched commercially in Australia within a matter of weeks and hopefully in the UK later.

But Mr Heming said: "The way we farm sheep in the north east is totally different to that in Australia.

"Australia is more open and flatter. Here farmers would have to bring animals in off moors to inject them and fit the nets. Then bring them in again later to remove the nets and harvest the wool.

"There are also lots of rocks and bushes on our hillsides which would damage the nets."