Burglars steal £15k in £1 coins 'stored in whisky bottles' Published duration 15 January 2016

image copyright Thinkstock image caption A police spokeswoman said it would be "hard to miss £15,000 in pound coins"

Burglars have stolen £15,000 in pound coins, which police believe were stored in large whisky bottles, from a house in Greater Manchester.

The money, which police said weighed as much as "two average-sized women or almost 10 cases of wine", was taken during a raid in Ashton-under-Lyne.

A Range Rover, designer handbags and jewellery were also taken.

Police believe three homes, which were burgled on 1 January, were "targeted specifically for the high value items".

According to the Royal Mint , one pound coin weighs 0.02lbs (9.5g), which brings the weight of 15,000 to about 22st 6lbs (142.5kg).

Saving one £1 coin a day, it would take a person about 41 years to save the amount.

Whisky bottles used for savings usually have a capacity of 4.5 litres, which, using the Royal Mint's measurements and allowing for space between coins, means about £2,500 in pound coins could be stored inside.

A police spokeswoman said it was believed the coins had been collected in whisky bottles but it was not known how many were taken.

She said it would be "hard to miss £15,000 in pound coins, so we believe someone must know something about this crime".