A large sinkhole has opened up on a patch of land, as the area has been cordoned off and the fire service has attended the scene.

Emergency services were first alerted to the sinkhole in a field near River View Road in Ripon on Sunday (August 25) morning - when firefighters were called to an 'incident' on the patch of land. 

The sinkhole in the field in RiponThe sinkhole in the field in Ripon (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

After attending the scene and finding the sinkhole, firefighters cordoned off the patch of field, next to a public footpath, and advised the landowner. 

In images, taken on Wednesday (August 28), the sinkhole can be seen in the field, looking like a small crater in the ground.

The fire service initially attended the incidentThe fire service initially attended the incident (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The hole, measuring around nine feet across and five feet deep, looks like a hollowed-out piece of land - but firefighters have warned that this is a sinkhole. 

Ripon is susceptible to sinkholes because it lies on a layer of water-soluble rock called gypsum.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: "Crews from Ripon responded to a report of a large sink hole which had appeared in a field. The crew attended the scene and cordoned off the area. They also advised the landowner."