AN OLD boundary stone has been stolen from Picton, and police want help to track down both the stone and the thief.

Called liberty stones, they marked the boundaries of parishes and this one had indicated the border for at least 150 years, perhaps more than 300, locals believe.

The stone bears the legend "Pickton Liberty starts here" on one side and "Pickton Liberty ends here" on the other; the K was dropped from the village name 150 years ago.

Liz Robinson, whose farmland runs close to where the stone lay partially hidden by long grass, said the existence of the stone was deliberately not made widely known.

She had it photographed some years ago after a similar artefact in nearby Kirklevington was stolen, and checked it whenever she was passing.

"I'm angry about it - it's a bit of our history gone missing," she said.

"This was no impulse or opportunity theft," said PC Lee Allenby of North Yorkshire police. "This is a substantial piece of masonry, with about two feet of solid stone above the ground and at least the same below.

"I reckon it would have taken several people, lifting gear, or both to haul it out of the ground and on to a vehicle."

PC Allenby says it is hard to put a value on the stone. But the effort involved in taking it suggests it is worth a substantial amount.

He wants to hear from two possible groups of witnesses, anyone who has seen or heard suspicious activity around Picton in the last two weeks, especially involving a strange van or truck, and anyone offered the stone, perhaps a collector or someone who buys unusual garden ornaments.

The closeness of the A19 suggests the thieves' potential market could be in the Teesside area.

Anyone with information should call Northallerton police on 0845 6060247.