A jewellery shop owner has been left in shock after a destructive thief stole £30,000 of rings, bangles and bracelets - after breaking in with a gravestone.

Jamie Wright owns Little Jems Jewellers and discovered the front door had been smashed in and a gravestone lying in the shop.

On further inspection she realised that the cupboards of the shop, holding expensive jewels, had been ransacked.

In total the thief made off with £30,000 worth of valuables and police are now investigating - including trying to find where the gravestone came from.

Little Jems Jewellers in Penzance, Cornwall, was broken into in the early hours of Saturday morning.

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The front door had been smashed in, with the gravestone used as a battering ram to break the lock.

Inscription: The gravestone bears the initials "IHS", meaning "Jesus, saviour of mankind" (
Image:
SWNS)

The gravestone is in the shape of a cross bearing the initials "ISH", meaning "Jesus, saviour of mankind".

But police have so far been unable to identify where the cross came from.

The thief was only in the shop for a short time, but managed to make off with a yellow gold Art Nouveau ruby necklace and a white gold cluster ring, amongst other valuables.

Staff from the shop believe this was the work of a professional thief who may be on a spree up and down the country.

Haul: The thief stole rings, bracelets and bangles in the raid (
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SWNS)

After watching CCTV of the incident, they noticed that the man knew exactly where to locate the valuables, and acted in a calm manner.

In the CCTV the crook can be seen holding a torch in his mouth, while wrenching open a locked cupboard full of valuables.

He can then be seen filling a bucket and fleeting the scene, all in less than 30 seconds.

Amber Orchard, Jamie's daughter, said: "They managed to get through the shutter and used the granite headstone of somebody's grave to get through the door.

"They managed to get the lock off the door by ramming it with the headstone.

Probe: Police are keen to speak to anyone who has been offered jewellery for sale (
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SWNS)

"They did set the alarms off immediately but unfortunately they were in and out within 30 seconds."

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Enquiries are continuing and detectives are appealing for anyone who witnessed the burglary , or saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area at the time, to get in touch.

"Officers are also keen to speak to anyone who has been offered any of these items of jewellery for sale.

"Anyone who recognises the stone cross or knows where it has come from is asked to get in touch."