POLICE are appealing for information following a burglary at a house near York.

The incident happened at about six o'clock, yesterday evening when four men forced their way into a property on Dickens Road, Malton, threatening the owner and stealing a large amount of cash.

The group were then seen leaving in an Audi A5.

North Yorkshire Police said that the four men are described as white, all aged between 24 and 28-years old, and were all wearing grey jogging bottoms and black jackets, apart from one who was wearing a grey jacket. It is thought the men spoke in an Eastern European language.

In a statement, Detective Sergeant Michael Moorhouse said: "This was a particularly distressing and upsetting experience for the home owner, who was left shaken but luckily unhurt. Burglaries of this nature are very rare thankfully, which is why we believe this is a targeted attack on this property.

“We are appealing for anyone who lives or works in the areas of Dickens Road, Rainbow Lane or Cherry Avenue who has CCTV covering the outside of their properties which may have captured footage of this incident, to contact us.

“Or if you were driving in the area and may have captured dash cam footage, or saw people or vehicles acting suspiciously, please dial 101, select option 2 and ask to speak to Michael Moorhouse. You can also email Michael.Moorhouse@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk – please quote reference 12180240712.

“If you have information, but want to remain anonymous you can also contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”