A SHOP owner has been left with a £2,000 bill after thieves smashed into her store and stole stock and charity boxes.

Donna Birrell, who runs Global Interiors, in Blackburn Road, says she has been forced to reinforce the windows in her building after more than a dozen break-ins, including one on Christmas Day.

The latest raid saw a group of thieves throw a concrete paving slab throw the glass front door at around 4am in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Ms Birrell, 49, who has owned the building since 2014, said yesterday’s incident has prompted her to pay for the windows to be reinforced, which should stop objects from being thrown through.

“Retail as a whole is struggling, you just have to pick up the paper and there’s another high street store in trouble,” she said.

“High street retail is tough as it is and these people will get away with it because the police don’t have the resources to investigate it.”

The Global Interiors building also houses two other businesses - restaurant Dolce Cafe and accessory store World of Brass.

Both suffered damage and Ms Birrell says the cost of repairs for the whole complex is likely to be as high as £2,000 after the front door is replaced and interior damage is fixed.

She said: “The front door has been completely blown through, that’s going to need replacing.

“They’ve taken charity boxes and they’ve tried to force their way into an area which has a big ornamental gate. They forced that and smashed the fence panels either side of it.”

Ms Birrell explained that the shop has alarms in place to warn of break-ins, as well as CCTV, but that Bolton Council asked that the loud exterior alarm be turned off after residents in the area complained about the noise.

Staff were made aware of the break-in shortly after it happened but the thieves had left the area by the time they arrived.

Despite the damage, Global Interiors were able to clean up the smashed glass and open their doors yesterday to continue trading.

Ms Birrell said she will carry on her work in the same was as she has done previously saying she is "determined" and "will not be defeated".

She displayed a similar attitude just days after the break-in on Christmas Day.

CCTV footage of that event captured two hooded offenders as they forced entry at the Blackburn Road site by smashing the front display windows and then stole two ornate Indonesian lamps worth £300.

Following the previous raid, she said: "We can't tolerate thefts like this. What kind of person does this, wanders the streets on Christmas Day evening, picks up bricks, lobs them through windows, and decides to do a bit of Christmas shopping without paying? Why are they not with their families doing something constructive?

The Bolton News contacted Greater Manchester Police for comment.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or use the Live Chat feature on www.gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111