POLICE have put North Yorkshire's equestrian community on alert after a burglary at a stables near Richmond.

Tack and tools worth more than a thousand pounds were taken from the premises at Melsonby between Thursday night and Friday morning. A Daihatsu Fourtrak vehicle was stolen from a nearby property. It was later recovered near Croft-on-Tees, near Darlington. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said stables should be on their guard and recommended that alarms and security lights be fitted where valuable equipment is kept.

OPEN DAYS: Consultation on the future of York's Barbican Centre and swimming pool has been extended to April 14 to allow people to attend open days at the Barbican Centre on Tuesday to Thursday, March 18 to 20 and Tuesday, March 25, and at the Edmund Wilson Swimming Pool on Wednesday, March 26.

WILD PARTRIDGES: Edward Darling, of the Grey Partridge Recovery Project, will talk about habitat management and creation, supplementary feeding and predator management at Manor Farm, Eddlethorpe, Malton, on Monday, at 2pm. To book a place call Martin Hammond, on (01653) 600666 extension 333.

COFFEE CONCERT: The Harrogate International Festival's series of Sunday Coffee Concerts continues tomorrow with a performance by pianist Lukas Vondracek at The Old Swan Hotel, in Swan Road, from 11am. Tickets, priced from £11, are available by telephoning (01423) 537230 before 5.30pm today.

BARN DANCE: Starbeck Methodist Church hosts a barn dance today. Doors open at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for children. Family tickets costing £6 are also available.

PUDDING MYSTERY: Alison Turnbull will explain the mysteries of the Georgian pudding to the friends of the Georgian Theatre Royal, in Richmond, on April 24, at 7pm. Tickets for the event at Richmond Town Hall cost £10. For details call (01748) 823710.

HALL PLAN: Richmondshire planning authority is being asked to support an application to use part of Newton-le-Willows village hall as a shop and post office.