A pigeon fancier of nearly 50 years standing said he was "totally devastated" when his pride and joy £6,000 birds were stolen.

Mike Fitzhugh, 59, had travelled to Holland and Belgium to buy the prize-winning pedigree birds but 13 of them were stolen on Wednesday night.

It's thought the cock-pigeons may have been stolen to order from Mr Fitzhugh's garden, at Windy Hill Lane, Marske, near Redcar, east Cleveland, as the breeding season is approaching.

"I'm totally devastated," said Mr Fitzhugh, "I'll never forget the moment I went in to the loft and they had been taken. As I told the police, nobody has seen them flying and no-one can see in. I heard something as I went to check on them and think I might have frightened them off. Otherwise I could have lost them all."

Mr Fitzhugh, a founder member of the Marske and New Marske Homing Society, had spent a lot of money on building up his flock of pigeons after taking a break from his hobby for a few years.

Anyone with any information should call Cleveland Police on (01642) 326326.