POLICE were baffled today after a huge vehicle left a trail of destruction across countryside near York.

The machine, thought to be a digger or a dumper truck, flattened gates, hedges and signposts and came close to causing carnage on the A64.

Four horses - a mare and three foals - escaped from a field after one of the gates was knocked down at Colton, and wandered near to the dual carriageway before being rescued.

Their owner, Hazel Bramley, said: "It doesn't bear thinking about if they had got on to the dual carriageway. It could have been carnage."

Police said they were aware of criminal damage on the Colton side of the A64, but not of the theft of any vehicles. PC Keith Pattison, of Tadcaster police, said: "We do not know what has done this, or why it has happened, although it's obviously some very big machinery. Whether it's been a prankster or someone drunk, I have no idea."

He appealed for any witnesses who saw a large vehicle being driven in the area in the early hours of yesterday to phone police on 0845 60 60 247.

He confirmed it could have been very dangerous if the horses had got on to the A64. "Fortunately, that didn't happen," he said. He said he would investigate if there was any link between the Colton incidents and the similar cases on the other side of the dual carriageway.

Colton resident, Brian Percival, whose thick steel gate was also flattened, said it would cost about £1,000 to replace. It was installed in the past year during the construction of the A64 Bilbrough Top flyover.

"It's incredible," he said. "They have flattened the gate post which is 5in steel."

He said he had measured the tracks, and discovered they were 9ft apart, with tyres which were 17in wide.

The Evening Press followed the trail of destruction and found six locations on both sides of the dual carriageway where damage had been caused, apparently by the same vehicle.

In addition to the gates at Colton, a vehicle also:

Crashed through a hedge on the lane between Copmanthorpe and Colton, flattening oil seed rape crops before crashing out through the hedge at a different point. It also knocked down a road sign on the verge further along the lane towards Colton.

Crashed through a hedge near Askham Richard, on the other side of the A64, and drove through a field, flattening crops, before crashing out at a different point. It also knocked down a road sign near Askham Bryan.

We spotted tell-tale traces of yellow paint, appearing to indicate the colour of the vehicle.

Updated: 10:22 Tuesday, April 26, 2005