Police are on the hunt for 'opportunist thieves' who ransacked a home for a pillowcase and jewellery.

At about 7.40pm on Saturday, September 26, a home was broken into with the back doors smashed into.

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The owner of the house in Sidbury Close, Sunningdale, received a text from their neighbour alerting them to their alarm system going off.

When they arrived home they found their rear patio door smashed and their upstairs bedroom ransacked.

Police said "real and costume jewellery, a sewing box and a pillowcase" was stolen.

Neighbourhood police explained why the pillowcase might have been stolen.

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They said: "Opportunist thieves cannot ‘go equipped’, to commit burglaries. That includes something to take away any stolen items. Instead, they wait until they have found a suitable target and then look for the necessary tools and bags there. It is often tools from a garden shed / garage, used to break in.

"They will then look inside for a sports bag. If none is available, they will remove a pillowcase from a bed and use that. Often if they have time, they will empty jewellery boxes/ bedside tables onto the bed to sort through to take only the most valuable jewellery. If as in this case, they are in a hurry, they will simply dump everything into the pillowcase and run.

"It is vital therefore, that you do not store valuable jewellery in a jewellery box on a dressing table."