A LUXURY home in an exclusive area was trashed by teenagers who went on the rampage at a secret party.

Robert Bowles said the destruction to his £1m property in Duchy Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is now subject to a police investigation and refused to talk about it.

He and his wife returned from a weekend away to find every room in their large detached home had been wrecked in the party, which had attracted more than 70 youngsters.

North Yorkshire Police said £15,000 worth of damage had been done to the 17-room house and a range of the family's expensive possessions stolen.

The family left Harrogate on Friday for a weekend in London with their teenage daughter, but she left two of her friends staying in the house.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "They in turn invited a few more friends.

"Eventually, a party began and gatecrashers started arriving.

"One report is that ultimately more than 70 people were there.''

After most of the partygoers had left, two adults came into the house and threatened the remaining youngsters with violence, chasing them out.

The police spokesman went on: "The next day, Saturday, neighbours contacted the family. They returned to find £15,000 worth of damage to the house. Every room had been vandalised, even the shed and greenhouse had been wrecked. TVs, DVD player, Euros, jewellery and other possessions were stolen."

Now detectives are trying to piece together who was at the party and who the two adults were who came into the house, as police suspect the two men may have been the thieves.

"We are working to establish two things," the spokesman said.

"Who was responsible for the damage and who was responsible for the theft?"

Neighbours said Mr Bowles is a property developer in his mid- 40s, with two or three children. His wife was named locally as Elfie. Yesterday, he refused to comment in detail about the party.

He was seen visiting the property on several occasions throughout the day, at times supervising a painter and decorator and several cleaners.

He told reporters he had nothing to say about the party, adding: "It is subject to a police investigation. I have nothing more to say."

Asked how his family was coping, he said: "That remains within the four walls of this house."

Duncan Mann, 21, who lives several doors away, said he heard a lot of noise on Friday evening.

He said: ''I was watching TV when I heard a loud noise. I heard a bang and I thought somebody was kicking my car in.

''I went outside and there was a large number of people milling around. There were big groups.

"Later, my friend said his car had been sprayed. He lives in Ripon and he came to visit me, but somebody had sprayed his car while he was here."

The incident follows the plight of Alan and Elaine Bell, whose home in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, was wrecked on Easter Monday.

Mr and Mrs Bell returned to their home to find it had been the scene of a party for 200 youngsters attracted through an advertisement on the website MySpace.

Every room of their home had been damaged and revellers had even urinated on a wedding dress