FOUR men have been arrested in connection with the theft of a car.

North Yorkshire Police say that just before 11am this morning, a silver Ford Galaxy was reported stolen from a house in Ripon. Police immediately attended the area and began a search for the stolen car.

A spokesman said: "Officers located the car abandoned at about 12.15pm. A number of people were seen running from it.

"Air support was called in from the NPAS police helicopter, and officers on the ground continued to search the immediate area.

"By 1pm, four people had been arrested, all on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle. They are all male – a man in his 20s and three teenagers. They remain in custody at this time. The car has been recovered for forensic examination.

"We’re grateful to members of the public in Ripon today for their patience while police searched the area and dealt with the suspects."