Raiders turned an antiques shop “upside down” leaving the owners of the fledgling business numb with shock.

Grandparents Wendy and Chris Pursglove opened up Old Ebony Antiques and Collectables in Reading Street, Tenterden, in their retirement and had only been trading for about four months when their shop was ransacked after they closed up on Remembrance Sunday.

They shut their shop, near Tenterden Garden Centre, at 4.30pm, but by 9.30am the next morning they learned of the devastating raid by phone call.

Thieves had smashed through two doors at the back of the building to enter the shop, sweeping through it and shattering valuables in their wake.

Five cabinets containing gold, antique silver and a selection of jewellery were broken into and a small amount of cash stolen from the till.

“They were only interested in the gold and the money in the till.” said Mrs Pursglove, “but they turned the place upside down looking for it.

“I feel numb and devastated,

“We only opened in July and had spent a long time doing the shop up and building up stock before we opened.”

“I feel numb and devastated" - Wendy Pursglove

Mrs Pursglove, 72, who worked with children with learning disabilities before dealing in antiques, said: “The shop was quite a mess, drawers were pulled out, cupboards opened and a shelf was broken.

“Things were broken along the way and a glass perfume bottle was smashed. I just thought ‘why?’”

The grandmother had just returned from Detling antiques fair and stock she had just bought was stolen.

Although the building was covered by insurance, the contents were not due to extremely high costs of cover, which the Pursgloves said their small business could not afford.

They estimate that goods to the value of £5,000 have been stolen, together with just £30 from the till, which they had emptied the night before.

The couple, who only bought their shop a year ago, had installed a security camera but it was ripped out by the thieves.

The burglary follows the targeting of two antiques businesses in Tenterden High Street: An attempted break-in at White’s jewellers in October 30 and a raid at Re-Memories antiques on September 25, when thieves made off with an estimated £50,000 antiques haul.

Police are appealing for witnesses and a spokesman said: “The Old Ebony School House in Reading Street was broken into overnight between Sunday 12 November and Monday 13 November 2017.

“Jewellery has been stolen and officers would like to hear from any witnesses who saw anything suspicious.”

Police say at this stage they are not linking the three incidents.

Anyone with information should call police on 01843 222289 quoting reference ZY/056132/17, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.