POLICE have issued an image of a Land Rover Discovery being crushed after its owner was found guilty of damaging a farmer's field.

Mark James Hughes, 33, from Eden Street in Horden, near Peterlee, was convicted of criminal damage after driving onto a field at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, last November.

The Land Rover became stuck and buried into the mud to the depth of its axle.

Hughes was seen nearby, and subsequently interviewed by officers.

The field was due to be replanted but because the vehicle had driven over it, that could not be done due to the risk of contaminants.

At Northallerton Magistrates Court on August 25, Hughes was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation and disqualified for driving for six months.

He also had his vehicle taken off him and now it has been crushed.

PC Arfan Rahouf, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “Hughes’ thoughtless and reckless actions caused substantial inconvenience and financial loss to a farm business.

"I hope that the crushing of the vehicle, along with the compensation and driving ban sends a very clear message that this behaviour is absolutely unacceptable to North Yorkshire’s rural communities, and police will deal with such incidents robustly.”