Seven sheep died after a vehicle – believed to be a 4×4 – was “deliberately” driven into the animals.

The dead sheep were discovered at around 1000 GMT on Wednesday in a field on the outskirts of Staveley, near Knaresborough, North Yorkshire Police said.

The force said the car was “deliberately driven over the perimeter fence and into the animals” overnight, killing seven and leaving the rest of the herd “in distress”.

Anyone with information about the incident or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage of a 4×4 vehicle in the area at the time is asked to contact police.