Six tarantulas have been stolen from a house in York

Police are appealing for information after a bizarre burglary in which six tarantulas, two rare birds' eggs and painkiller medication were stolen from a house in York.

By Grace Newton

Published 17th Apr 2020, 16:35 BST

The exotic spiders were taken from a property on Alcuin Avenue in the Layerthorpe area of the city.

Also stolen were two Harris hawk eggs which were about to hatch and the painkillers. Harris hawks are native to the Americas but are sometimes used in falconry displays in the UK.

The burglar gained entry to the house by kicking in a rear door panel on the night of April 14-15.

The six tarantulas were all different species - a Mexican whitetail; a goliath birdeater; a King Baboon; a Chaco golden knee; a green bottle blue and a Panama red rump.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask to speak to Jamie Gibson. You can also email [email protected]