Police are hunting thieves who have been stealing four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Within the past six weeks five Land Rovers and a Nissan Pathfinder with a total value of more than £80,000 have been taken.

Two other vehicles were also tampered with but the thieves failed to drive them away.

The latest theft of a white Land Rover Defender – registration YG05 LGK – valued at £8,500, occurred outside a house in Main Street, Sutton-in-Craven, near Skipton on Sunday, between 10.30pm and 5.40am.

Thefts have also taken place in Barden, near Bolton Abbey, Long Preston, where two Land Rovers were taken, and Gargrave.

Most of the vehicles were owned by farmers and taken from remote areas in the Skipton and Craven area.

PC Ann Hearn, of Skipton police, has urged farmers to consider joining the Country Watch scheme and fitting immobilisers.

“Our investigations so far lead to suggest these are opportunist thieves travelling into Craven from elsewhere,” she said.

“We are at this stage still not sure whether they are being sold on or broken up. None of them have been recovered.

“We would urge farmers to contact us immediately they suspect anyone. One farmer in the Bolton Abbey area reported seeing youths taking an interest in a Land Rover. It was not stolen but it was not reported until the following day. We need to know straight away.”

John Standing, of Ribblesdale Motors, which specialises in selling four-wheel-drive vehicles, said: “People, especially farmers, should consider fitting immobilisers – they’re about £200 but a very good crime preventative measure.”

A National Farmers Union spokeswoman said four-wheel-drive thefts were a serious issue but farmers also had to deal with other crimes like the theft of coping stones from walls, thefts from remoter farm building such as roofing materials and even animals.

Anyone with information about the thefts should call police on 0845 6060247.