FORGET cattle rustling - milk rustlers are sweeping southern York, according to worried residents.

It has been reported that a thief is following the milkman in the early hours in a slow vehicle on streets near The Mount and that the occupant is picking up bottles of milk from doorsteps and placing them in the vehicle only minutes after the milk cart has passed on.

Five streets particularly hard hit are Wentworth Road, Scarcroft Hill, Albemarle Road, St James's Mount and Trentholme Drive, where residents claim they have had milk taken on several occasions.

One woman resident said: "At first we thought that the milkman had forgotten us, but we asked him, and he assured us he had delivered.

"Then, in the early hours, one neighbour spotted a vehicle by its lights, going round just after the milkman had been, and taking the milk from the homes.

"My milk was well hidden in my porch, and they still managed to get it.

"You can see the odd bottle going. If some people are thirsty they will steal a pint - but for them all to go? It beggars belief."

The resident believes the milk could be being taken to order for someone who runs a small shop or restaurant.

"I just want people to be alert, to know what is going on, as it could happen to other areas," said the woman.

"If anyone sees a suspicious looking vehicle moving slowly in the early hours, I would ask them to take the number down.

"The problem is there are a lot of elderly people who can't get out to get their milk, and this could be a real problem for them."

Updated: 11:07 Friday, August 13, 2004