TWO businesses are counting the cost after thieves stole hundreds of pounds worth of speciality cheese and jewellery.

Burglars broke into the Ribblesdale Cheese Company and its neighbour, The Good Life, in Hawes, North Yorkshire, at the weekend.

They left with more than £500 worth of cheeses from Ribblesdale Cheese.

The haul included 18 blocks of sheep’s milk cheese in a mixture of 2kg and 2.2kg weights, plus 4kg of blue goats’ cheese and three rounds of superior goats’ cheese.

Some of the cheese was marked with batch number D25 and dated April 2009.

They also stole a camera, two laptops and a quantity of cash – and trashed the office.

One of the laptops, a HP Compaq, contained all the company’s accounts.

Business owner Iona Hill said: “We’re going to carry on, but the loss of the laptop is the one thing that’s hit us badly.

“I had just backed it up to a USB key but left it in the computer.”

The thieves took food worth about £620 from The Good Life catering company.

This included 11 5kg blocks of cheddar and Wensleydale cheese labelled as Karron Lodge.

Burgers, steak and kidney pies, chicken nuggets and sausage rolls were also stolen, as well as 13 large containers of instant coffee, bags and tins of dog food and confectionary.

The thieves also took 50 items of Namaste jewellery, including earrings, necklaces and bracelets, worth about £500.

PC Alan Busby, of Leyburn safer neighbourhood team, said: “The theft is quite unusual and we believe the goods may be destined for resale, either in a shop, door-todoor or a car boot sale.

“I am therefore appealing to anyone who may be offered the items for sale, including food outlets or shops, to contact the police. These crimes have caused a lot of upset and loss to local businesses.

“This is the last thing they need in the current financial climate.”

Anyone with information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 0845-60-60-24-7.

Alternatively, they can give information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800-555- 111.