BURGLARS ruined a young couple's wedding day by ransacking their house and stealing their gifts.

Simon and Katrina Fox had asked relatives to take their presents to their flat for safe keeping during their wedding reception.

The couple, who were not insured, lost gifts and other valuables estimated to be worth between £1,000 and £2,000. The presents included expensive gifts from Cyprus which the couple had not even seen unwrapped.

Simon, 24, said: "It's not a great start to married life."

The couple were married at Ferndown register office on Saturday and had the presents taken home so they could enjoy the reception at the King's Arms, Christchurch.

"We got married at 11am and I got my parents to take everything back to the flat for the evening," said Simon. "We stayed the night in the hotel and came back in the morning."

The couple returned to their home in Stuart Road, Highcliffe, to find their garage and flat had been broken into.

"They had climbed up the front of the house. They had used our neighbours' garden table and chairs, piled them on top of each other and climbed up onto the balcony," said Simon.

"The worst thing was we weren't insured because we haven't got a lot of expensive stuff without the wedding presents."

The stolen items included a TV-video combination, saucepans, plates, clothes, jewellery of sentimental value, Simon's bike and a laptop belonging to Simon's employer. The couple had a wedding list with Debenhams and will have to check with the store to see what gifts had been delivered to the flat.

The couple, who had cancelled plans for a honeymoon because Katrina, 22, is studying for a postgraduate certificate of education, also lost another computer containing much of her course work.

They hope anyone with information about the burglary will come forward.

"The wedding day was fine, brilliant," said Simon. "We got the sun on Saturday and were surprised.

"We woke up the next day and thought we'd been lucky because it was pouring down with rain."