ARRESTS have been made, after a woman was injured trying to prevent her sheep being stolen.

Police say they have arrested five men on suspicion of attempted robbery following an incident at Picton near Crathorne, North Yorkshire yesterday afternoon.

The men have all been released on police bail as officers continued their enquiries.

The woman was said to have suffered head injuries after being assaulted with a large piece of wood as she attempted to prevent two people taking the livestock.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) was called to the scene to assist a crew from the North East Ambulance Service.

A statement released by the air ambulance said: "GNAAS were called to assist NEAS crew with a patient who had been assaulted with a large piece of wood after stopping two men from trying to steal her flock of sheep.

"The patient was assessed and treated on scene by the GNNAS crew before being flown to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough."

The woman was described as having serious head injuries, but was said to be stable on arrival at hospital.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said they received a call at about 1.25pm, reporting a woman had been assaulted.

Figures from insurer NFU Mutual for 2014 show that in the North-East and Yorkshire alone, more than 13,000 animals were stolen at an estimated cost of more than £1.2million.

North Yorkshire Police last year launched a pioneering new training scheme to combat sheep theft.

Dozens of its police officers received expert advice from farmers on how to properly identify sheep and how to question people with sheep in transit, as part of a clamp-down on livestock theft.

The scheme, organised by the NFU, has also seen the creation of a network of local farmers who can help officers at the roadside if in need of extra support.

Any witnesses to the incident at Picton, near Stokesley, are asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and speak to the Force Control Room, quoting ref NYP-25072016-0247 or contact Crimestopppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.