Rare breed sheep row erupts online

It says cooking rare breeds helps preserve them

A local restaurant has caused a storm online by advertising a 'rare breeds' night, where people get to eat a sheep from a breed which only has 300 left.

The Abbey in Ballasalla has plugged its event on Facebook, where diners will tuck into dishes prepared by its chef from the Boreray sheep.

Many people have posted criticism underneath, saying the restaurant is contributing to the extinction of the breed.

The Abbey argues that it's quite the opposite, as it's working with the local company Manx Rare Breeds, which helps preserve the likes of the Boreray and try and grow its numbers.

Manx Rare Breeds says it needs to sell some lambs to make the breeding programme viable.