Yorkshire farmers put on alert as gangs of sheep rustlers strike

And with many of the stolen livestock being killed in unlicensed back-street slaughterhouses before being sold on the region's streets, rural communities have been urged to come together to halt the trend.

There has been a sharp rise in reported sheep thefts across North and East Yorkshire in the past 12 months with 133 animals stolen in four separate incidents around Harrogate in the past few weeks alone.

Police say the rustlers are striking in the dead of night and are believed to be using sheepdogs to herd the animals into trailers which are then towed away.

Pc Graham Tetley, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "I have been in the police for 25 years and have never seen anything like this in the area.

"These thefts are occurring during darkness and we have absolutely no idea where the people committing them are coming from, but without a doubt they are experienced at working with sheep. They are targeting isolated fields and using sheepdogs to do it.

"We have had four incidents in the past eight weeks but we could well be getting more of these that are not being reported."

The rise in thefts is believed to have been sparked by a sharp rise in the price of lamb – with farmers getting up to 100 for each animal. In 2009 the price was 2.70 per kg but this has since soared to 4.40 per kilo.

Tim Price, a spokesman for NFU Mutual, which insures two thirds of all the farmers in Yorkshire, said: "This year we have seen livestock rustling start again after a decade where we hardly saw any at all.

"There has been a sharp resurgence in the last 12 months and we do think it is largely related to the sharp increase in the price of meat. This is very hard to get to grips with."

Most of the sheep that are being stolen are texel sheep, which were developed for meat.

On one recent occasion in Gouthwaite, near Pateley Bridge, a three-year-old ram was also stolen from a field, it is believed, to be used for breeding.

Pc Tetley believes many farmers may not realise initially they have been targeted, which makes it harder to provide a timescale for the crime and identify possible witnesses.

"The problem is farmers with large herds may not realise if just a few sheep are going missing," he said. "In one incident in Pennypot Lane, Harrogate, 90 sheep were stolen over a two to three day period."

Members of the public are also urged to help combat the crime.

Mr Price added: "The stolen livestock is being slaughtered and butchered in back-street premises and then sold on to the public. We would urge anybody offered meat that appears suspicious not to accept it.

"Not only is it illegal but it will probably have been prepared in very unhygienic circumstances.

"We are urging farmers to get involved with neighbours and the local community so if they hear any noises of livestock being rounded up they can give the farm involved a call. Local community involvement is absolutely crucial here."

The National Farmers' Union says the new emergence of sheep rustlers in the county is part of a growing increase of rural crime in Yorkshire, as criminals avoid heavy surveillance camera networks in towns and cities and instead target farm equipment.

In the summer, North Yorkshire Police launched Operation Opposite aimed at protecting rural communities in the Selby district which have been targeted by thieves stealing metal and machinery.

The initiative was designed to build on the successful Operation Jumbo which was launched last year to target hare-coursing and poaching in the Selby district, and has since been rolled out across North Yorkshire.

Anyone with any information on the Harrogate sheep thefts can contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247.

.