A CRUEL burglary brought New Year heartbreak for a single mother and her two young children.

Unemployed barmaid Paula Kelly had struggled to make Christmas special for her seven-year-old daughter Tyler-Marie and son Charlie, three.

She had collected several toys, digital videodisc players, a PlayStation and other presents.

The youngsters were devastated when they were all stolen along with televisions and hi-fis while the family celebrated the New Year away from their home in Blackett Street, Bishop Auckland.

Ms Kelly, 26, said: "I lost my job in July, so it has been hard to buy them.

"The children don't understand what has happened and thought it would come back when we told the police.

"Altogether they were worth nearly £4,000 but I was not insured so we have lost everything.

"And I can't bear to go back to my house after this so the children have lost their home as well."

She is appealing for help in tracing the stolen items, which include a widescreen television, a combined TV and video, and Action Man toys.

The burglary happened after she left the house at 5pm on New Year's Eve and 4pm on January 2.

The culprits forced open her back door and had time to rifle through drawers and take their pick from her video collection.

She said: "I don't know if they knew if I was going to be away, but they had time to take what they wanted. They ruined my children's Christmas."

Detective Inspector Ted Edgar, of Bishop Auckland CID, said there had been a spate of break-ins around the town over the past few days and urged anyone with information to come forward.

Last week, police launched Operation Verdite to combat a series of sneak-in burglaries, distributing leaflets advising people how to foil opportunist thieves.

Contact Bishop Auckland police station on (01388) 603566