POLICE are hunting thieves who have stolen archery equipment including arrows capable of piercing armoured plate.

The arrows are similar to those used by English archers to defeat the French army at the battle of Agincourt nearly 600 years ago.

They were taken from a car belonging to archer Brian Lambert while he went into a shop.

Mr Lambert, 63, of New Marske, said he had left £400 worth of archery equipment in his car while it was unattended for about five minutes.

His Vauxhall Astra was left in the Yorkshire Lass car park in Gurney Street, New Marske at 9.30pm on Tuesday with three bows and 24 assorted arrows in the back.

When he returned he found the lock had been forced and his gear, along with medals he had won over the past five decades in competition across the North-East and Yorkshire, had been stolen.

The theft has sickened Mr Lambert as he made one of the longbows himself. He counts his medals as his most prized possessions.

They are irreplaceable and of great sentimental value to the former ICI process operator.

He said: "They are no good to anyone else but they mean a lot to me and they are beautifully made.

"The longbows are really old and I will never be able to replace them. I even made one of them myself. It is such a shame because it is something I have been interested in since I was a young boy."

Mr Lambert said the equipment was potentially lethal if it was not used properly.

He added: "These are the sort of bows they used at Agincourt and could pierce a soldier's armour - one of these would go right through you."

The missing equipment includes two wooden longbows, a fibreglass light brown Rica bow, six aluminium arrows, six fibreglass arrows, 12 wooden arrows, leather armbands, brown leather gloves and a green quiver.

Cleveland Police asked anyone with information to call (01642) 326326.