BURGLARS stole £2,500 worth of IT equipment, Beyonce concert tickets and Easter eggs during a break-in at Newport City Signs.

Thieves smashed an upstairs window and climbed up a ledge to get into the Chepstow Road shop sometime between last Saturday night and Monday morning.

Owner Alan Wilkinson opened up to find the place trashed with the contents of drawers and cupboards strewn across the floor.

Among the items stolen were two laptops, a 36in Sanyo flat-screen television, a jigsaw cutter, a mobile phone, digital camera and a petrol pressure washer. Also taken were two Beyonce tickets, worth £75 each, and two Easter eggs.

The tickets belonged to worker Chris Prior, who put them up for sale on eBay because he could no longer make the May 7 gig in Manchester.

They had attracted bids of up to £300 but he has had to withdraw them.

Mr Prior said staff were shocked and saddened to discover the break in.

He said: "It was just unbelievable really, we just thought what bad luck."

The firm, which designs number plates and business signs, is keen to have the Toshiba and Web Book laptops returned as they contain hours worth of design work for clients, some of which was not backed up.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Gwent police on 101.