Even the milk snatched in Telford restaurant break-in

Ms Tench runs Restaurant 1840 in a converted Methodist church in Dawley, Telford

A mother and daughter have been left "heartbroken" after a break-in at their restaurant saw fridges and freezers emptied and even the milk stolen.

When Jelly Tench arrived at Restaurant 1840 in Telford on Wednesday afternoon, she found smashed windows, food strewn across the floor and a damaged till.

Alcohol was also taken in what the owners called a "high-value heist".

Ms Tench said the cost of repairing the damage in the run-up to Christmas was "unthinkable".

The BBC has contacted West Mercia Police for comment.

Windows were smashed in the break-in but antique books were left behind

The restaurant is located in a former Methodist church in Dawley and retains much of the building's original features.

Ms Tench, who runs the eatery with the help of her mother, told Radio Shropshire: "They've gutted the place, they've gutted all of the booze in the building and they've even emptied the fridges and the freezers in the kitchen, they have taken everything.

"They have even taken the milk."

Despite the setback, the owners report an outpouring of messages of support from local residents.

Piles of food were left strewn across the floor

Ms Tench told the BBC: "This was a high-value heist and it will take us a while to build our way back from this, especially just before Christmas.

"We're quite shaken up. [Working there] is my life, so it's quite scary to see that this is what people are capable of, what would have happened if I were in the building."

She added: "It's just me and my mother, if we can pay ourselves wages it's fantastic but most of the time we can't so when there is that little to give, trying to replace what we've lost is unthinkable.

"If we lose this weekend it will be a real nail in the coffin."