THE owners of a number of valuable garden ornaments are being sought by police in North Yorkshire.

Detectives in Northallerton have recovered a haul of items, which they believe could have been taken from homes across the region.

The items include a number of stone garden gnomes, a pair of foot-high stone owls, several mushroom-shaped staddlestones, an iron boot scraper, two stone orbs and a lead statue of a boy holding a water pitcher.

Anyone who recognises any of the items should phone Det Con Kevan Howe on 01609 789457.

Updated: 11:14 Friday, December 06, 2002