RAIDERS who struck at a retired jeweller's home snatched £24,000 worth of his sick wife's gems.

Mr Jack Orton (74) returned after shopping to find thieves had ransacked every room in his house in Brandlesholme, Bury. They had ripped out a conservatory window to get in.

A shocked Mr Orton said the raiders took "a lifetime's collection of jewels," belonging to his wife ,Joyce.

Mrs Orton, who has suffered two strokes, lives permanently in a nursing home.

Mr Orton came home to find his home wrecked last Friday.

He said: "I knew immediately something was wrong when the bedroom curtains and living room curtains were drawn.

"The collection taken represents birthdays and other occasions over a 52-year period - a lifetime's worth of memories belonging to my wife.

"The fingerprint expert said there are some really good prints on the window and the boxes the jewellery was kept in."

He believes that the burglary was carried out by professional thieves because they disconnected the security light and pulled out the conservatory window instead of smashing it.

"They knew what they were doing," said Mr Orton, estimating the damage to the window at £300

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