Seven sheep have died after a 4x4 vehicle 'deliberately' drove over a farm fence and mowed down the animals, police have said.
North Yorkshire Police are investigating the incident, which happened on farmland between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough.
The horrific incident occurred overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, 12-13 November.
The force said: "We believe a vehicle – probably a 4x4 - was deliberately driven over the perimeter fence and at the animals."
The suspect drove around 200m down a farm track off Minskip Road before leaving the track and driving in a figure-of-eight in the field.
The farmer discovered the dead sheep at around 10am on Wednesday and a vet was called.
Seven died in the incident, which 'appears to be random', and the rest of the flock was found in a distressed state.
"We have launched a criminal investigation and have been carrying out enquiries in the area," North Yorkshire police said.
"We are appealing for any information about the incident, the vehicle involved which may have wool attached to it, or any CCTV or dashcam footage of a 4x4 vehicle in the area around the time of the incident.
"Please contact PC Paxton by emailing joseph.paxton@northyorkshire.police.uk or calling us on 101, selecting option 2 and asking for PC Joseph Paxton.
"You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or share information via their website."
The cost of rural crime cost the UK nearly £53 million last year, an increase of over £2 million compared to the year before.
Livestock theft remained high in 2023, at an estimated cost of £2.7m across the UK. Last year saw a spate of incidents where animals were butchered in fields.
And farm animals worth an estimated £2.4m were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2023, up nearly 30% compared to the previous year.
