SHEEP rustlers have been striking again on an area of the North York Moors that has become a blackspot for such thefts.
Between the end of July and October this year some 110 ewes and a further 80 lambs have been stolen from the open moorland in the Northdale Rigg area near Hartoft, north of Pickering.
With the increases in the price of sheep on the market the value of the stolen animals is together put at around £13,800.
It is the forth consecutive year that sheep have been stolen from the same area of moorland -and all the previous thefts have occurred around the same time of year.
Police are appealing for witnesses of any suspicious activity to contact PC Stewart Ashton, at Malton police station 0845-6060-247.
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