POLICE found an abandoned vehicle along a bridleway in the north of the district following a report from a member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

An officer posted on social media that they had taken a short stroll of around two miles over the moor near Gordale Scar to find the abandoned vehicle shown in the picture.

They added: "What you can't see in this picture is the vast amount of deeply rutted tyre tracks that it had left in the soft ground either side of the main path. Absolutely no need for it whatsoever.

"The bridleway forms part of the Dales Highway and is used extensively by walkers, cyclists and horses. It is not there for adventure-seeking 4x4 enthusiasts to use and abuse. There are clearly posted signs at the entrance to the lane and on both of the gates that the driver would have stopped to open. Even without the signs, no reasonable person could mistake this bridleway for a permissible green lane.

"Enquiries will now continue to trace the owner/driver, who will then be reported for a few different offences, as well as being issued a warning under S.59 of the Police Reform Act.

"I take incidents like this seriously. Yes, we have crimes to investigate and deal with. But we also need to make time to look after our national park and protect it from mindless vandalism like this.

"Similar incidents can be reported via 101, or the North Yorkshire Police website."