Didcot Railway Centre severely damaged in break-in

CCTV images of the intruders have been passed to Thames Valley Police

Intruders have ransacked offices at a railway heritage museum causing substantial damage.

Two men or boys smashed doors and windows and set off fire extinguishers causing damage to computers in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Didcot Railway Centre said.

The museum said a search was made for valuables but nothing was stolen and the site would open as normal.

Thames Valley Police it would examine CCTV footage of the suspects.

The intruders used fire extinguishers to smash doors off their hinges, the museum said

The museum's events co-ordinator Sarah Jermyn said the offices looked as though they had been hit by a tornado.

"They basically ransacked the place... smashed windows from the inside and smashed the doors off their hinges," she said.

"They used the fire extinguishers to smash the doors and gain entry. There is extinguisher mess and paper strewn everywhere.

"We are quite devastated. The buildings are listed buildings and the damage is quite severe - this in itself is bad enough, but as a charity, it's really hurtful that people would do this to us."

Sarah Jermyn from the museum said it looked as though it had been hit by a tornado

Ms Jermyn said CCTV images of the two intruders had been passed to Thames Valley Police.

In a statement the force said: "Unknown offenders broke into the premises and caused extensive damage. However, it [is] unclear if anything has been taken."