Last updated at 11:48, Monday, 18 March 2013

A Dearham pensioner has been left heartbroken after 20 of his prize-winning canaries were stolen during a burglary this morning.

The birds belonged to John Bell, 79, and they were stolen from a shed on Maryport Road, Dearham, in the early hours of this morning.

The birds are a mixture of Gloucester canaries with green and yellow variegated colours and Mr Bell used to take them to shows across the county.

Among the group of birds is a distinctive bright orange red factor, one cinnamon hen and two brown and orange mules.

PC Matt Brannan, who is investigating the burglary, said: “This is a particularly heartless crime where a thief or thieves have deliberately targeted the shed for specific birds. There’s no doubt that the animals will have been distressed during the crime and their owner has been left upset that his prize winning birds have been taken.

“We are appealing for the local community to get in touch with information. Stealing twenty birds without making a noise will have been extremely difficult – if not impossible –so it is likely that local residents may have heard a disturbance. Please think back – did you hear or see anything suspicious?

“We are determined to catch the thieves responsible and trace the distinctive birds so we can reunite them with their owner.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101.

First published at 11:33, Monday, 18 March 2013
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk