POLICE last night appealed to the region's hoteliers or guest house owners who may have taken in four men from the North-West on Sunday.

It follows what police described as a a professional break-in at the Duke of Wellington pub-restaurant at Nevilles Cross, Durham, overnight from Monday into Tuesday.

The gang forced their way through the roof into the bar area of the Darlington Road pub, on the A167, some time after closing time on Monday.

Vending and quiz machines were forced open, yielding an unknown amount of cigarettes and about £150 in cash.

A cashpoint machine inside the pub was also forced open, but had been emptied at closing time the previous evening.

The break-in was discovered when cleaners arrived for work at the pub at about 7.30am yesterday.

Police said they particularly want to speak to four men who called at the pub, owned by Ember Inns, for a meal on Sunday evening.

They then moved from the restaurant into the bar for a drink before asking if there were any available rooms.

Staff told them there was no overnight accommodation on site, but they were pointed in the direction of alternative premises in the area.

They left and returned on Monday morning, at about 11.30am, for a cup of tea, although detectives suspect this was to double check the pub security system.

It is thought the four men were from the Liverpool or Manchester areas, and were all aged between 30 and 40.

Anyone with information about them, or the raid, is asked to ring Durham City CID, on the force's non-emergency line 0845-606 0365, or the Crimestoppers' freephone line, on (0800) 555111.