A family have spoken of their "fury and heartache" at the theft of their beloved pet sheep Blossom, who was taken from a field near their home. 

Jane Barrett of Hill House Farm, Little Langton, near Northallerton, spoke as the three-year-old Texel ewe remains missing - dreading what has happened to her.  

Blossom's plight has spread around the world through social media, including Canada.

Mrs Barrett said: "It's now been 10 days. It's been fury mixed with heartbreak really. It's been a tough few days.

"Where we live is like rural I've always felt incredibly safe and what has happened has really shocked us. (Image: Family)

"Blossom was very much part of the family. We run holiday let cottages and aren't farmers, but love animals and we have space - and also have rescue chickens and things like that.

"We have had Blossom since she was two days old when we got her and bottle fed her."

Mrs Barrett said a white Ford Transit van was seen driving around the area on the morning of Tuesday August 13, when Blossom vanished. 

The van was was seen acting suspiciously near another smallholding in the Allerton Wath area area, with someone described having to swerve to avoid a white transit van driven erratically. 

Neighbours in nearby Great Langton have CCTV that covered the road, which picked up the same transit - giving full registration number.  (Image: Family)

Mrs Barrett spoke of her frustration at North Yorkshire police who gave her an appointment  for "literally just a telephone call" a week after she reported the crime - along with the registration number and CCTV coverage.

In fairness, she added, the rural crime section of the police was now "giving it a little more attention". 

Mrs Barrett said: "There's no chance of getting Blossom back now. I dread to think what happened to her.(Image: Family)

"She was scheduled to live a long happy life for 14 to 15 years, and nowhere near any kind of you slaughterhouse or whatever.

"So we do think she will have already departed this world and we dread to think in what manner.

"So I have no hope of finding her again. But Im so furious that people can drive around and throw animals - things with a heartbeat - into a van and God knows what the motive was. Obviously it's money or whatever."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "We received a report that a Texel ewe sheep had been stolen from a property at Little Langton, near Northallerton, overnight into 13 August. It was reported that a white Ford Transit van was seen in the area.

"Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police. Please dial 101, quoting reference 12240146874."