A dog was among the items stolen by a group of three men who entered a house in Portland Street, Hereford at around 11.05pm yesterday (Monday, March 26th).

One of the occupants in the house, a man in his 20s, had a knife held against his throat and was punched in the face while pepper spray was activated.

The suspects made off with a French bulldog, a handbag and electrical items.

Two other occupants in the property were taken to hospital as a precaution from the effects of the pepper spray, they have since been discharged.

The offenders are described as three men, one white and two black, with Birmingham accents. They were dressed in dark clothing and wore scarves covering their lower faces.

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Nick Shutt said: "This is a concerning incident but I want to reassure the public that we are carrying out a thorough investigation into this crime to find the offenders.

"As a result of this incident members of the public may see an increased police presence in the area.

"We need the public’s help and I would urge anyone who saw anyone acting suspiciously, has found discarded clothing or items in their garden, or has any information which could help our investigation, to call us on 101 quoting incident 837s of 26 March 2018."

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org