POLICE were today investigating a burglary at the stately home of David Cameron's father-in-law in which antiques worth £40,000 were stolen.

North Yorkshire Police said the thieves smashed a window at Sutton Park, near Easingwold, North Yorks, in the early hours of Wednesday morning and made off with the antiques.

The thieves stole a Charles Henri Cordier bronze bust of an oriental woman, worth about £20,000, and a Meissen teapot in the form of a monkey, also worth around £20,000.

Sutton Park was built in the 18th century and is the family home of Samantha Camerons father, Sir Reginald Sheffield and his wife.

Sir Reginald has put forward a £5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

He told the Daily Mail: "When they broke in, they were in the house for just two minutes. We believe the items must have been stolen to order for a private collector.

"There has been a spate of similar burglaries in the area over the past few weeks. Apparently, a lot of these items end up in the homes of collectors in eastern Europe."

Police appealed for anyone who heard or saw anything suspicious in the area or who could provide any information about the burglary to get in touch.

A police spokeswoman also warned antique dealers to be on their guard if they were offered the items for sale and to contact officers immediately. Any members of the public who are offered them for sale are also asked to get in touch.