A BOLTON police officer has been left heartbroken after thieves broke into a shed at his home and stole fishing equipment which had been owned by his dead teenage son.

PC George Slupski, from Harwood, discovered £600 worth of fishing tackle had been taken after thieves forced their way into a shed at his home.

His son Joseph, 17, had been a keen angler before his death just over a year ago in an horrific car accident which also claimed the life of his friend, Gareth Edwards, aged 19, also from Harwood.

Joseph's parents, George, 50, and Pauline, 48, had kept the fishing gear to remind them of their son.

PC Slupski said: "It's upsetting. My wife is devastated because his two loves were Bolton Wanderers and fishing.

"My son had bought all the gear himself. This is a callous thing to do, but unfortunately it happens all the time."

PC Slupski had put two padlocks on the shed but the thieves still managed to prise the lock from the shed frame.

Mrs Slupski found gardening equipment spread out over the lawn last Friday morning when she went to hang up washing.

The thieves had only taken the fishing gear, leaving the other items in the shed and over the lawn.

PC Slupski, who has been a policeman for 25 years, said: "It just shows it can happen to anyone. It makes us think that somehow the thieves knew what they were looking for. It isn't the value of the fishing gear that matters, it's the sentimental value and we would like it back."

Stolen items included a fishing basket, four or five fishing reels, and five or six rods as well as floats, line and other fishing equipment.

Joseph and his friend had instantly when their car collided head on with a lorry before bursting into flames on the Grane Road near Blackburn.

On the anniversary of their deaths on October 7, up to 400 people went to the spot where they were killed to unveil a simple plaque giving the two teenagers' names and the date of the accident.

PC Slupski, who was the community beat bobby in Little Lever for many years but now works at Bolton central police station, added: "It was very comforting to see so many people there for the memorial service.

"There are always fresh flowers being placed on the spot where he died. On his birthday hundreds of flowers were left on his grave."

He appealed to the thieves to hand back the fishing gear.

Anyone who is offered cheap secondhand fishing gear in suspicious circumstances, or anyone who has information, should ring Bolton police on 0161 872 5050.