AN elderly couple returned from a day out to find their home had been broken into, ransacked and thousands of pounds of unique and distinctive jewellery stolen.

The couple left their house in Guarlford Road, Malvern at 10am on Tuesday (February 23) and returned at 8.30pm to find the rear patio door had been smashed with a rock from the garden.

The thief or thieves ransacked every room in the detached house, which is set back from the road, before making off with a haul of jewellery.

They took a gold engagement ring featuring an oval sapphire stone with eight smaller diamonds around it, a gold wedding band and a heavy gold chained necklace in a flat pattern about 16 inches long.

Also taken was a distinctive Islamic brooch called a tugra with a gold pattern around it and Islamic writing as well as a watch on a chain.

The chain is solid gold with double circular chain set closely together about 20 inches long.

It has a Masonic medallion attached to it made of 15 carat gold with a date of 1896 on the hallmark as well as a medallion of a Star of David of nine carat gold on one side and platinum on the order.

the value of the items is put at over a thousand pounds.

PCSO Steve Freeman, who has conducted house to house in the area, stated that Guarlford and the Wykewane estate is an area of very low crime and this type of burglary is rare.

He asked everyone to protect their properties by making sure all doors and windows are shut and locked when the home is empty.

Anyone with any information please dial 101 quoting reference 0639s 230216.