BRAZEN thieves used a forklift truck to smash their way into a pet shop before stealing three parrots.

The pair battered through metal shutters in broad daylight.

As these images show the crooks were caught on CCTV as they raided Paradise Pets in Cheney Manor.

Neither men bothered to hide their faces and can be heard on tape calling each other's names as they search the store. One of the men concentrates on smashing open the tills while his accomplice makes his way to the birds.

The three Alexandrian Ringnecks, worth £120 each, were put into a box and taken out.

The men used a metal trolley to smash open the parrots' cage and the shop owners say it would have been a traumatic experience for the birds.

Neil and Sarah Eatwell have been running the store since 2000 and this is the second time they have been burgled.

Neil said: "They obviously didn't know their birds. They have looked at them and thought they were valuable but they're not really.

"The valuable ones are hand reared but these are not tame at all. They probably did try and bite the man. You can see from the CCTV that they looked at stealing other birds but none were taken.

"We were broken into last year and they took birds worth £600 or £700 each."

The police were at the shop yesterday where they dusted for fingerprints and took the CCTV footage away.

Insp Adrian Burt, of Swindon police, said the break-in happened at 7.20pm on Monday.

The men were in the shop for about six minutes. The alarm was set off when they smashed through the doors and Mr Eatwell called the police. As well as the birds, about £50 in coins was taken from the till.

Mrs Eatwell said: "They used our forklift truck which was in a shed. There was shattered glass everywhere and the tills were on the floor. But we are still open and running the same as normal."

One of the men has short fair hair, white trainers, cream knee-length trousers and a grey t-shirt. From the CCTV it sounds as though his name is Don or Tom.

The second man, who has dark hair, is wearing a cap, dark bomber jacket and jeans. His name appears to be Bill and he is also referred to as Dogger.

Anyone who knows the men in the pictures should call Swindon police on 0845 4087000 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.