Heirloom jewellery taken in Craven Arms house raid

Burglars broke into a house and stole more than £5,000 of antique jewellery, including treasured family heirlooms, from a house in Craven Arms while the owners were on holiday, police said today.

Officers that the theft of rings, earrings, a necklace, bracelet and a gold Dunhill cigarette lighter from the house in Aston-on-Clun had left the victims deeply upset and they were desperate to have them back.

Many of the stolen items are thought to have been passed down from family members.

Constable Lyndsey Howells, from West Mercia Police, said burglars forced the French windows and took the items from one of the bedrooms between last Thursday and 2pm Monday.

She said: "The victims are understandably very upset as the items taken are of huge sentimental value, many of them being family heirlooms.

I am particularly interested in tracing the jewellery and urge anyone with information concerning its whereabouts, to contact me at Ludlow police station by calling 101."

Officers say the main piece of jewellery stolen was a five stone 18ct gold ring hallmarked Chester 1896 and valued at £2,000. It is set with three diamonds, interspaced with two rubies.

A 9ct gold charm bracelet with round hollow links fitted with a padlock and safety chain with a 1902 Birmingham hallmark, is also missing.

The haul also included a pair of yellow and white gold earrings in the shape of daffodils in a scroll, a pair of pearl earrings with a sapphire on each and a silver locket with a swirl on the front and frill edging.

Thieves also stole a gold ring made during the First World War with a diamond-shaped topaz stone, a Victorian gold ring with a pale oval sapphire surrounded by five smaller diamonds, a gold necklace with a diamond-shape jade stone and a gold Dunhill lighter with Dunhill engraved on the base.