THE country's only importer of a rare breed of hens has been devastated by the theft of almost 300 birds.

Raiders broke into East Grange Farm, High Shincliffe, near Durham City, rounded up the Bovans Nera and loaded them into up to 20 crates.

They also drove off with Meadowsweet Ranger birds in the raid, which happened over-night on Wednesday.

Joyce and Keith Errington sell the Bovans Nera, which are from Holland and kept for their egg laying, to organic farmers and smallholders throughout the country.

Mrs Errington said: "This is a huge blow to the business, coming so soon after the impact of foot-and-mouth disease."

Buyers had been lined up for the free-range hens, which unlike battery hens do not have their beaks clipped.

Mrs Errington said the thieves, who brought their own crates, were professional and knew what they were after.

She said the thieves carried out the raid without disturbing a farmworker, who lives in a nearby caravan, and two farm dogs.

"To ship that many birds could be extremely noisy, yet the even the dogs had not murmured. It is terrible. I'm worried about the birds themselves. We look after them really well. You couldn't eat them, they are very hardy and lay a lot of eggs.

"Foot-and-mouth affected us terribly. We had a year where we couldn't move anything and lost thousands and thousands. We were just starting to recover from that and were hit again.''

The couple are tightening up security at the farm. Mrs Errington said the thieves may try to sell the hens, which are mostly black, as Black Rocks, which is a bigger species. She said the stolen birds were worth about £5 each.

A Durham Police spokesman said officers have alerted local auction marts and urged anyone with information to come forward. Durham CID can be contacted on 0191-386 4222 and Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.