The Scarborough Evening News has put up a cash reward in a bid to catch cruel burglars who wrecked an elderly woman’s home, leaving taps running and ransacking every room.

The paper told of the raid – labelled one of the worst Scarborough CID has seen in years – on its front page a month ago, but so far police have drawn a blank.

The Evening News is now offering £100 to anyone who comes forward with details which lead to a successful prosecution.

Editor Ed Asquith said staff at the paper were amazed that no one had come forward to name the intruders after details of the extent of incident were published in the paper.

Ed told HoldtheFrontPage: “This particluar case was at the far end of the scale of this type of crime.

“It was so shocking. It wasn’t just a burglary, every item in every room was tipped out of drawers and cabinets.

“It was completely over the top – it looked liked a bomb had hit the place.

“Our hunch is that it was some kind of local lout and we are trying to smoke them out.”

Since announcing the reward several readers have also been in touch with the Evening News with donations to boost the pot.

Anyone with information about the burglary is being asked to contact police.

During the break-in the burglars also sprayed bleach and soft drinks over the walls and caused so much damage that the house was not fit to live in.

DC Mark Butcher from Scarborough CID told the Evening News: “This was a horrific burglary which left the householder extremely traumatised. Hopefully the kind assistance of the Evening News will be an incentive for people to provide information.”