Bolton Wargames shop is broken into twice in weekend

The Portcullis Wargames Emporium in Bolton town centre, has been open for 12 years and has had trouble in the past with burglary attempts.

Earlier this month, 60-year-old owner Brian Peart arrived at the shop to find windows smashed and graffiti on the shutters and outside walls of the shop.

The graffiti read ‘we love Russia’ and ‘Putin is God' as Bolton and the rest of the country prepared to remember the victims of the Russian invasion of UKraine on the first anniversary of war.

Brian said: “A lot of effort went into this and I don’t know why they chose to graffiti the walls.

“They dragged two bins over to the front of the shop on Saturday and stood on them to spray the walls.

“Then they bricked the windows and took their things with them so they couldn’t be traced.”

The people responsible did not manage to break into the shop itself on Saturday as there are metal bars.

But the following day, on Sunday morning, there was another break-in attempt and this time, the culprits managed to get into the shop.

Rhe burglars ransacked the shop and stole over £4,000 worth of wargames miniature figures.

Brian said: “On Sunday I came in to clean and found that it had happened again but this time they got in and stole expensive figures.

“I called the police straightaway on both occasions."

The wargames shop is dedicated to the culture of the military based game with figurines often painted and selling for hundreds of pounds.

Brian said: “I am absolutely gutted

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“I know this is because there are no police resources in Bolton, but we’re at the point where we are wondering what is going to happen next.

“It just makes you feel like, what’s the point? I’m in my early 60s and it’s upsetting to have this happen.”

GMP have been informed of the incidents.