Police are hunting thieves who have stolen a quiver of deadly arrows capable of piercing armoured plate.

The deadly arrows are similar to the type used by English archers to defeat the French army at the battle of Agincourt almost 600 years ago. They were taken from a car belonging to archer Brian Lambert while he darted into a shop for a few minutes.

Mr Lambert, 63, of New Markse, said he had left £400 worth of archery equipment in his car which was unattended for five minutes.

His Vauxhall Astra was left in the Yorkshire Lass car park on Gurney Street, New Marske at 9.30pm on Tuesday with three bows and 24 assorted arrows in the back.

When he returned he found the lock had been forced and his gear, along with medals he has won over the last five decades in competition across the North-East and Yorkshire, had been stolen.

As Redcar's answer to Robin Hood, Mr Lambert is sickened by the theft as he made one of the longbows himself and his medals are his most prized possessions.

They are irreplaceable and of great sentimental value to the former ICI process operator.

He said: "They are no good to anyone else but they mean a lot to me and they are beautifully made.

"The long bows are really old and I will never be able to replace them. I even made one of them myself. It is such a shame because it is something I have been interested in since I was a young boy."

Mr Lambert said the equipment was potentially lethal if it was not used properly.

He added: "These are the sort of bows they used at Agincourt and could pierce a soldiers armour - one of these would go right through you."

The missing equipment includes two wooden longbows, a fibre glass light brown Rica bow, six aluminium arrows, six fibre glass arrows, 12 wooden arrows leather armbands, a brown pair of leather gloves and a green quiver.

Cleveland Police urged anyone with information to get in touch by calling (01642) 326 326.