Police are appealing for information after a burglary and arson at a house in the Byeway, Grimsbury.

The family who live at the house had gone out at about 3pm on Saturday.

At about 3.30pm, a relative of the family noticed the blinds in the lounge moving and contacted a member of the family, who returned home.

On entering the house, they discovered they had been burgled and the property had been set on fire.

Three fires had been set in the property, two in the kitchen and one in the lounge.

Police said an untidy search of the bedrooms had been made, however it is not known whether anything has been stolen.

Det Insp Steve Duffy said: “There were a small number of burglaries in the later part of 2010, targeting families who kept what is known within the community as wedding gold in their home.

“Setting fire to homes is rarely random and tends to have a motive based on some perceived grudge no matter how unreasonable that may be.

"I am pleased that in this latest incident, crime prevention advice had been listened to and items of value were deposited at a bank and no one was injured as a result of this reckless act. I urge the local community to remain calm and vigilant.

“I am personally leading the investigation and have a team of dedicated officers working around the clock. I ask anyone with information to contact me via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 5 505 505. If you don’t want to speak to police or leave your name, call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”