THIEVES have targeted a North York Moors village for the second time this year to steal a distinctive roadside nameplate.

Villagers in Cropton, outside Pickering, have lost another old-fashioned glass-beaded sign.

The first aluminium sign disappeared earlier this year in a spate of thefts targeting villages across Ryedale and the national park.

Some of the signs have been spotted at car boot sales, and Levisham's aluminium and glass-beaded nameplate was found up for sale on an internet auction site. Cropton Parish Council chairman David Barber said they realised the second sign, in Bulls Ing Lane, had disappeared at the weekend.

"After the first one was stolen I had a look at ours and was about to suggest that we do something about fixing it more firmly," he said.

"I would not like to say whether we have enough funds in the parish to pay for a replacement. If it was to take all of our capital balance we would have to think very carefully about it - unless the village were willing to pay as a one-off."

Mr Barber said he wanted to warn other villagers who still had the old-fashioned nameplates: "I contacted our insurance and the signs were not covered.

"The message to other parishes is to make sure the signs are on the list of items to be insured."

Anyone with information about the stolen signs from Cropton or any other village is asked to phone the Ryedale Witness Line on 01723 509662.

Updated: 10:50 Wednesday, June 18, 2003