A BOLTON mother is offering a reward for the return of a valuable ornament stolen from her home by smash and grab thieves.

Pamela Rigby, her husband and two young children, awoke terrified by the sound of the crooks smashing the front window of their home on Burghley Drive, Bradley Fold.

The thieves used a garden spade to break into the house early yesterday.

But in the time that it took the startled family to run downstairs, the thieves had gone, taking with them a Lladro figure worth about £2,000.

The ornament is a limited edition figure depicting two ballerinas. It is about two foot tall and in pale grey and pink on a mahogany base.

Ironically, Mrs Rigby was only given the figure by her mother-in-law last week.

She said: "My mother-in-law had bought it years ago, but she is losing her sight and was worried that she might break it.

"It is a beautiful figure and was on the window sill. The thieves must have previously seen it and decided to just take it.

"We are insured, but that is not the point.

"When they smashed through the window it sounded like an explosion. I jolted up so quickly I even had to go to the doctor suffering from whiplash.

"My young son was hysterical. The alarm was going off, and half the street seemed to have woken up.

"Yet in the seconds it took us to go down the stairs, they had disappeared with the figure.

"I am desperate to get it back and am offering a cash reward for its return."

The Crime has been reported to the police. Anyone with information is asked to contact Whitefield Police on 0161 872 5050, or Crimestoppers on the free phone number 0800 555111.

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