THE home of celebrity steeplejack Fred Dibnah has been ransacked by thieves for a second time.

They smashed their way into the listed building on Radcliffe Road, The Haulgh, and rifled through belongings.

They are believed to have escaped with a grandfather clock which dated from the 1700s and had been in Dibnah's family for six generations.

It was due to be passed on to his daughter, Lorna, as part of the terms of his will.

The break-in was the second at Fred's home since his death in 2004 and is said to have left his family heartbroken.

In December, brass plaques were stripped off Fred's beloved steam engines when the home was targeted as his widow, Sheila, was away.

A security firm is now keeping watch over the house and the priceless engines have been moved from the rear of the address to a safe site.

Bill Richards, a life-long friend and the executor of Fred's will, said: "It's disgusting that somebody would do this.

"Everybody knows that this is Fred's house and the worry is that these people are trying to cash in on his name. He would be absolutely sickened by this."

Fred's widow, Sheila, who discovered the break-in, said: "This house is in many ways the last vestige of Fred and I felt sick when I found what they had done to the house.

"They had ripped light fittings out, damaged the fireplace and started taking an old Victorian bed to pieces so they could take that too.

"When you think about all the joy Fred gave to people, it's disgusting that he gets repaid like this."

The burglary was discovered last Monday and the thieves are believed to have got inside the house between Friday March 2 and Monday March 5.

Other items had been left in piles for the thieves to collect when they returned.

Several items which were stolen during December's break-in, including a brass weather vane and cock, were later recovered from a scrap-yard in Manchester.

Det Sgt Andy Greenhalgh, of Bolton CID's burglary unit, said: "We're very keen to speak to anybody who has any information or is offered anything which they believe may have been stolen from the house."

Anybody with information is asked to contact police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.