AN ancient stone pathway on a much-loved protected landscape has been churned into a mudbath for the second time in just six months.

Drivers illegally using 4x4s on a public bridleway on the North York Moors tore the historic route to shreds while having their fun.

They dislodged and cracked the woodland pathway, churned up the ground and gouged and uprooted mature trees.

They even abandoned one of the vehicles at the scene when they couldn’t extricate it from the mud.

Now police are investigating the incident in East Arncliffe Wood, near Glaisdale, and are appealing to the public for information.

The bridleway, which winds its way through picturesque, bluebell woodland for nearly a mile, is part of the long-distance Coast to Coast and Esk Valley walks, linking the hamlet of Delves with Beggar’s Bridge, by the River Esk.

The area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the path has an historic stone “trod” known locally as Monks Trod.

Park range Matt Fitzgerald discovered one of the 4x4s abandoned on the bridleway and it has now been recovered by the police.

“I was appalled when I first came across the vehicle – not only was the ground badly churned up where they had attempted to free the vehicle, but numerous historic trod stones were smashed and scraped.” He said.

“Trees had been damaged and even uprooted through attempts to recover the vehicle.”

He added: “While there are 4x4 owners who drive legitimate routes responsibly, there is still a minority who have no respect for where they can and cannot drive these vehicles, and their selfish actions can cause a great deal of damage and upset”.

PC Darren Mortimer said: “Illegal off-roading in the National Park is a problem that we take very seriously.

“We are currently investigating this incident and ask that anyone with information that could assist the enquiry contact Whitby police straight away.”

The incident is one of many where irresponsible 4x4 owners have caused significant damage in the National Park.

In January a green lane in the park at Ugglebarnby, near Whitby, had to be closed because of serious damage by 4x4 vehicles.

Trods are stone pathways which were once common on the Moors but have been fast disappearing since 1900.

Archaeologists, cartographers and historians now view the trods as an integral feature of the area’s history.