A BUS company owner is offering a substantial reward for the recovery of money stolen from his property during a family Christmas party.

An undisclosed amount of cash had been stored in the office of Ray Pilkington's home above the family business in Blackburn Road, Accrington, in order to purchase four double deck buses for a new contract.

But burglars broke into Pilkington Coaches while Ray, 66, and his wife Mary, 62, were celebrating the works' family party at Church Cricket Club and took the lot.

Ray, a paraplegic suffering from a broken hip, thigh bone and a kidney infection, said: "They went through every room and turned everything upside down. I felt sick.

"I would urge anyone who knows anything about this to get in touch with the police immediately as it could be them the next time.

"The timing has been terrible as both myself and my wife have been very poorly recently and she is just recovering from a triple by-pass."

The burglary has also put a question mark over four new contracts offered to the business by Lancashire County Council as Ray had needed to purchase four more 84-seater buses to fulfil the contract.

He said: "We had the money in to pay cash for the buses as some places won't take a cheque if you live miles away and that makes it more difficult.

"Those who broke in clearly got lucky."

The burglars broke into Pilkington's Coaches between 12.50pm and 6pm on Sunday December 30 while Ray and Mary were at the party.

Earlier three men had been seen acting suspiciously at the rear of the building and they may have been in a dark blue four-door saloon. DS Mark Rothwell, of Accrington CID, said: "If anybody has any knowledge as to the whereabouts of the cash a reward has been offered for information leading to its recovery."

Anybody with information should call Accrington CID on 01254 353741 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Two men appeared before Hyndburn magistrates yesterday charged with burglary and were released on conditional bail.