Thieves targeted a high street jewellers in Tewkesbury in the early hours - loading a safe into the back of a car.

But a rapid response from police just before 4am on Saturday (August 10) morning saw officers able to give chase in the direction of The Cross, with dramatic results.

"Officers were deployed and disturbed the offenders who had been attempting to fit a safe into the boot of a black vehicle which they then fled in at around 3.55am," said a statement from Gloucestershire Constabulary.

"Police pursued the suspects in the direction of The Cross and in their getaway the safe fell out of the open boot.

"The offenders had forced entry to the store and stole items of jewellery from the window displays. The safe they had attempted to steal was empty."

The jewellers - Butwell & Jones Ltd at 141 High Street, which specialises in quality new and used jewellery - is open for business, but did not want to comment on the raid.

The offenders are believed to have made their getaway and police are now concentrating their efforts on tracking them down.

"Officers are keen to locate two vehicles in connection with the investigation. They are described as a black Volkswagen Golf R and a red Volkswagen Golf R.

"Anyone who saw vehicles matching this description in the early hours of this morning or abandoned are asked to contact police," said the police statement.

"The investigation is at the early stages and officers are appealing for anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area last night or in the early hours of this morning to call police on 101 and quote incident 50 of 10 August."