SHOTGUNS and rifles have been stolen in a raid on a house in Weardale.

The detached home near Wolsingham was targeted on Sunday night. It is close to another property from which burglars escaped with a £10,000 haul less than two weeks ago.

Detectives are asking local people to contact them if they have had calls from strangers over the past few weeks who may have been seeking empty properties.

In the latest raid, the house was empty, but family members were visiting regularly and had checked the home at 4pm on Sunday.

A relative of the owners who called at 8.30am yesterday found that a downstairs window had been broken and a locked firearms cabinet forced open.

Six shotguns and five rifles were missing. Stolen were four 12 bore shotguns - an AYA, a Beretta, a Joseph Lang and a Webley and Scott - an AYA 20 bore and a Webley and Scott 410.

The rifles taken were a Greener .22 Martini action single shot, a Brno .22, a Sako .308 bolt action, a BSA 7mm Mauser type and a Parker Hall .22 fitted with a sound moderator.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw anyone acting suspiciously to contact them. They believe someone may have seen a vehicle parked in Leazes Lane, leading from the village to Tunstall reservoir, or someone crossing fields near the house.

Anyone with information should contact police on (01388) 762011.