Vehicle thieves take dogs as well

OTLEY farmer Nicholas Houseman had his Land Rover stolen with his two sheepdogs inside it shortly before Christmas.

Mr Houseman had parked the blue and silver Defender 90 pick-up outside Wharfedale Farmers’ Auction Mart on Leeds Road, Otley, on the morning of Monday December 19.

When he returned, the vehicle and the two border collies had disappeared.

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Mr Houseman and his wife, Julie, were distraught when they realised the dogs, Sally, aged two, and Jyp, eight, had been taken.

The vehicle was last seen by a friend, four miles away, speeding in the direction of Hawksworth and Keighley, shortly after 10.30am.

Despite reporting the theft to police that afternoon, they have received no news on the whereabouts of the Land Rover or the dogs, which Mr Houseman trained up on his farm from puppies.

Mrs Houseman said: “My husband had taken some lambs in to sell that morning and was only in there for three-quarters of an hour. But in that time, the Land Rover and the dogs had gone.

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“We couldn’t care less about the car. That has been replaced. We just want our dogs back.

“They are two very friendly, lovely dogs. When they travelled in the car, they would always come up to the mesh to greet people.

“We just hope the people who took the car let them run out. But we haven’t heard anything since it happened.”

The couple run a flock of 500 Swaledales and Mules and 400 dairy cows on Prospect Farm, at Lindley near Otley.

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The Land Rover has Houseman LS21 2QT marked on the windscreen and a picture of a black bull on the front. The registration number is J14 JNH.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to contact the North West Outer Neighbourhood Policing Team on 01274 471458 or via the non-emergency number 101.

Mr Houseman was chairman of Wharfedale Agricultural Society and Otley Show until last year.

And he is West Riding representative on the north of England committee of the British Wool Marketing Board.