A WATCH bought as a wedding present and Indian jewellery heirlooms were stolen after a burglar ransacked the bedroom of house in Heaton.

Ilyas Thagia, aged 31, learned of the break-in after his wife had called him to ask why the room at their home in Chassen Road had been left looking a mess.

The incident occurred at 1pm on Thursday, July 3, and the intruder is believed to have spent around 20 minutes inside the property.

Mr Ilyas, a father to a four-year-old daughter, said: “My wife had gone into the house and asked me why I had left the house in a mess.

"She then found the back door had been smashed. The burglar just went in the main bedroom of my house.

“I feel very disappointed and disgusted that somebody has been around my house and gone through my stuff and we hadn’t been there.

"My wife and daughter could have been at the house when it happened and it could have been a lot worse.

"Fortunately my daughter is too young to understand what has happened. She was blaming me for leaving the bedroom in a mess.”

He said distinctive Asian jewellery, which are family heirlooms, were stolen, including a Tourmaline necklace.

Other items included 22 carat necklaces, rings and bracelets. All of the jewellery was in red boxes.

A black Rado watch worth £1,500 was stolen. It is distinctive as it is a digital and analogue watch.

Three HTC phones were taken, along with USB sticks containing personal information.

Mr Ilyas, a project building surveyor, said: “The watch is rare and was bought for me by my wife as a wedding present when we got married in 2007.

"I had only just put a new battery in it. I think my house was probably burgled because the person thought there might be Indian jewellery in the house. The person took stuff which was easy to carry.”

The family has now installed CCTV cameras.

A 43-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the burglary and bailed pending enquiries.

Anyone wiith information about the whereabouts of the stolen items is asked to call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, by telephoning 0800 555111.