North Yorkshire Police are currently investigating a spate of recent rural crime incidents, including the theft of £100,000 worth of equipment from Hagg Bush Farm in Hambleton, Selby and the killing of seven sheep following an incident involving a 4×4 vehicle.
Two tractors entered the premises on Common Lane at approximately 6:40p.m on Sunday, November 17, before leaving with a red Grimme Irrigation Pump and red Kvernland Cambridge Rollers.
Following this event, another tractor was confirmed by police in Yorkshire to have returned to the scene early the next morning on Monday, November 18, at approximately 5:35a.m, stealing a red, Grimme Potato Ridges and a John Deere weight block in its wake.
North Yorkshire Police is appealing to the public for information on the case and are especially interested in anyone who has CCTV footage that may show the tractors with the farming equipment, in the Hambleton area, around the time of the offences.
Meanwhile, the same police force is appealing to the public for witnesses and information following the seizure of poultry in the Marton cum Grafton area.
They were seized on Thursday, November 14, after officers found them in what they described as an “unusual” location which posed concern for their welfare.
Police since confirmed that the birds are now safe and “well cared for” and are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.Â
They are especially appealing for information on the identity of the owners of the poultry, and are requesting anyone who is missing peacocks, bantams and some farmed brown hens to get in touch with the station.
North Yorkshire police have also launched a criminal investigation into a fatal incident in which seven sheep were driven over and killed in a field in the Boroughbridge and Knaresborough area of the county.
Officers believe that a 4×4 vehicle was used to “deliberately” mount the fenced perimeters of the field located on the outskirts of Staveley, and subsequently driven in the direction of the sheep being held there.
Seven died in the incident, which appears to be at random, while the rest of the flock were found in a distressed state by the farmer, who made the discovery and subsequently reported it to authorites at approximately 10:00a.m on November 13.
The farmer subsequently reported the crime to the police, who have confirmed that it took place sometime overnight and are now conducting enquires in the area on the foot of it.
“The suspect drove around 200m down a farm track off Minskip Road before leaving the track and driving in a figure-of-eight in the field,” police said, speaking of the crime in question.
As with the aforementioned crimes, police are seeking information to aid their investigation, and are asking the public to check CCTV or dashcam footage for a 4×4 vehicle in the area during the early hours of Wednesday, November 13 and late night on November 12.
For anyone with information on any of the three crimes outlined above, but wishes to remain anonymous, North Yorkshire Police recommend contacting Crimestoppers.
