Thieves steal beloved brooch in Telford break-in
Thieves broke into a house in Shropshire and stole a 'priceless' brooch while the owners were sleeping upstairs.
The burglary happened at a house in Chiltern Gardens, Dawley, Telford, early on Tuesday morning.
Police said the 'Buffs' brooch was thought to be worth around £200 but was priceless in sentimental value to the owner .
It is thought thieves entered the property via the unlocked front door between 3.30am and 5.15am. They searched the downstairs rooms before stealing the brooch and a set of house keys.
Police suspect the thieves may have been disturbed before they had chance to take any additional items.
The stolen brooch is described as being a gold 'Buffs' badge (Royal Antediluvian Order of the Buffaloes) which is very distinctive. It was in a greeny yellow box which also had a handwritten note inside.
Detective Chief Inspector Jason Wells said that up to half of all burglaries are committed by thieves who enter the house through an unlocked door or open window.
"This means the reality is that most burglaries are carried out by opportunistic thieves, rather than 'professional' criminals, who are looking for the easiest way of getting into a house without being seen or disturbed. Opportunist thieves will not want to take unnecessary risks to carry out a burglary and therefore there are simple things that everyone can do to make life more difficult for them," he said.
"For example, don't leave open or unlocked doors or accessible windows in unoccupied rooms even if you are only outside for a very short time.
Anyone with information on the burglary or who knows where the brooch can be found should call police 101, quoting incident number 52S 110912.
