THIEVES stole four bottles of champagne after ransacking a pub and damaging equipment worth thousands of pounds.

Police said thieves broke in to the Kettle Drum Inn, Red Lees Road, Cliviger, in the early hours of Saturday morning and destroyed kitchen and bar equipment worth thousands of pounds.

They tipped food out of the fridges, smashed salt and pepper pots and trashed the downstairs bar before leaving with four bottles of Moet et Chandon champagne.

The damage, discovered by the cleaner on Saturday morning, included two broken deep fat fryers, which will each cost £2,000 to replace.

Natalie Hutchinson, 24, who manages the pub with her partner David Heaven, said: "Everything was trashed, the pumps had been smashed, food had been thrown out of the fridges. The deep fat fryers had been smashed and the fat had been poured all over the kitchen.

"They also smashed all the crockery and the salt and pepper pots. They stole four bottles of Moet champagne."

The police attended and had taken fingerprint evidence, she added.

Ms Hutchinson, who has been running the pub since January, said: "We only closed for one day on Saturday.

"We are open now. We managed to get it all cleaned with the help of family and regulars.

"We are trying not to dwell on it and get open and back to normal."

Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

A spokesman said: "The place was ransacked inside.

"Anyone who saw anything suspicious should contact us on 01282 425001."