A YORK shop specialising in Christmas gifts was broken into, on the eve of the first big weekend of the festive period.

Staff at Christmas Angels, in Petergate, were stunned to discover that thieves had hurled an empty bottle of vodka through one of the shop windows, before making off with about a dozen traditional-style dolls and teddy bears.

Among the toys taken in the small hours of last Friday were many collectors' items and limited editions, bringing the rough value of the theft to between £1,500 and £2,000.

The theft was the third at the shop in the space of only eight weeks, although it is the first in which actual shop stock has been taken.

But owner Allen Strauss said the break-in had not affected morale at the store.

He told the Evening Press: "Obviously, to come in and find that someone has broken in on the first big weekend of the Christmas season was very disheartening.

"But the people of York have been very good to us. We didn't close at any point, we simply put up a sign asking people to bear with us while we had the window repaired.

"We think we got the sympathy vote, and we were delighted when we did just as well on Friday and Saturday as we would normally have done."

In the previous incidents, cash was taken from the shop till during the course of a working day, and a computer and digital camera were taken from an office.

Mr Strauss said he was "dismayed" by the incident, because he believed it was a thoughtless strike by an opportunist thief.

But he thanked both his regulars and passers-by for helping the shop get back on track.

"We're grateful for everyone's support," he added.

Updated: 10:51 Tuesday, November 20, 2001