An appeal has been launched after thieves smashed their way into a house in a Herefordshire village in broad daylight, causing a huge amount of damage.

The incident happened in Weston Beggard near Bartestree on Friday morning.

Two men were seen approaching the property on CCTV, before smashing their way into the property and stealing a number of items.

The alert was raised when a neighbour heard dogs at the property sounding distressed. Fortunately the dogs weren’t harmed during the incident.

The back door to the property was smashed in, and the house has been completely ransacked. We have decided not to post images of the inside of the house due to the effect this incident has had on the homeowners.

It is understood that the two men arrived in a Blue Audi TT Convertible. There have also been reports of similar incidents in the Hereford and Ross-on-Wye areas so residents are asked to remain vigilant.

West Mercia Police officers attended the scene, alongside forensics officers.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact West Mercia Police on 101.