TWO sisters have been devastated by the theft of their two horses from a field in Hartlebury.

Jackie Crew and Sherrie Harrold are offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the offenders and the recovery of the thoroughbreds.

The rustlers broke a padlock on a gate and cut through two electric fences in the early hours of Saturday to take the horses from the field off Hillditch Lane.

Nearby residents heard the sound of neighing at about 6am but did not hear a vehicle.

The thieves took a 23-year-old bay gelding called Kelly, which Sherrie, 41, had owned for 17 years. Sherrie now lives in Wolverhampton and Jackie has looked after the horse in Hartlebury for the last 11 years.

The other horse was a 10-year-old dark bay mare called Sprout, which 38-year-old Jackie bought two years ago.

Kelly was freeze-marked with the number 16R3 and Sprout, who had not been broken in, had scars under her front legs following an operation.

Jackie, of Oak Apple Close, Areley Kings, said a lorry in the field was broken into a week earlier and feed and tack was stolen.

She said she had heard that a horse had been stolen from a field in Worcester the same night and that two others had been stolen from Bewdley in August.

"We are terribly upset about this and are desperate to get the horses back," added Miss Crew.

A police spokesman appealed for anyone with information about the theft or for anyone offered horses answering their description for sale to contact them on 08457 444 888 quoting reference number 0165s/091004.