THIEVES made off with £3,680 of cash from the Whitchurch Inn after breaking in at around 5am last Sunday.
After forcing entry to the premises they searched cupboards and drawers. The till?s built-in timer showed that the cash was removed at 5.17am, said manager Rachel Newphry.
The intruders also entered the owner?s flat where the landlord and manager were asleep, but nothing was taken.
Rachel Newphry said: ?It?s very strange that they didn?t take anything apart from the cash.
?They also left everything extremely tidy. They searched through a chest of drawers and left it with each drawer open by exactly the same amount. I found that really bizarre,? she said.
?It was obviously a highly professional job because the first we knew about it was waking up on Sunday morning to find the front door open.?
Tavistock police want to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious behaviour in the pub during opening hours on that day, as it is likely the burglars checked the premises before the break-in.
The incident is one of several recent burglaries in the Whitchurch area and police would like to warn residents to be especially vigilant with household security.
Det Sgt Martin Gleed said: ?It?s very important for householders to be security conscious at all times.?