THIEVES tunnelled through the bedroom wall of a house in Kirk Merrington, near Bishop Auckland, and made off with property worth £4,500 from next door.

The raiders, who had made a hole in an upstairs wall of the house in Rockcliffe Terrace, stole a white fronted amazon parrot in a brass cage along with 35 Royal Doulton figurines and a video camera.

Anyone with information about the weekend raid should contact Newton Aycliffe CID on (01325) 314401 or Spennymoor Police on (01388) 814411