A farmer has been told his pet ostriches face being impounded and put down unless he erects a fence to pen them in.

Robert Dick, 39, who lives on Ayrshire Farm in Ripe, has owned ostriches, worth £5,000 each, for the last six years.

He imported nine birds from Zimbabwe in 1995 and farmed them for meat, selling about 400 birds during three years, for between £50 and £500 each.

For the last three years, Mr Dick has kept the birds in 6ft high pens but he took them down six months ago after one of the ostriches killed another by trapping it against the wire.

He said: "I now keep the birds as pets but if I keep them in pens they fight each other.

"I took the pens down because the birds prefer to roam around the farm.

"The birds are much calmer and happier without the pens. They have individual characters and follow me around."

However, officers from Wealden District Council have said he must re-erect the pens under the terms of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, which says the birds should be caged.

Mr Dick said: "I have held a licence under the Act for six years and have always complied.

"But now the council says I am in breach of my licence and the pets are a threat to public safety.

"They said the fences I have around the farm are not sufficient to hold the birds in but I think they are.

"I live on my own and have no footpaths through the farm so there is no danger to any member of the public. I have bulls that are more dangerous.

"The council said they had the power to take the birds away and put them down."

John Gallop, assistant head of environmental services, said the council had a duty to protect members of the public.

He said: "The Dangerous Wild Animals Act licence which Mr Dick has held for a number of years is not just for animal welfare but also public safety.

"Ostriches are listed as dangerous animals and the council has a duty, as does Mr Dick, to ensure the public are protected from any harmful effects."

Mr Gallop said the council had several options if Mr Dick failed to comply with the licence, including prosecuting him, refusing to renew his licence and taking the birds away.

Mr Dick said he would put the pens back up rather than face having the birds seized.