BLIND people will be without their Talking Newspaper service this week after thieves stole recording equipment worth more than £3,000.

The theft, on Wednesday night, was the third time the newspaper for the blind and visually impaired has been hit in the last twelve months.

Burglars broke into the office in Pendleton House, Salford, where tapes are prepared for distribution to more than 500 people featuring the week's news stories.

The theft does not affect production of Bolton's own talking newspaper.

A door was torn off its hinges and a glass window was shattered when the five track tape deck was taken on Wednesday night.

Volunteers were due to record the latest edition of the newspaper on Thursday but now their clients will be forced to wait until next week when organisers will borrow equipment until their own is replaced permanently.

Co-ordinator Mike Tunnicliff said he was sickened by the theft. He told the BEN: "We were first burgled about 12 months ago and they came back a few months later. It obviously makes us very apprehensive about what the insurance people are going to say. "It is a great pity because there are some people we provide a service to who are not only blind, there are also quite a few who are not too strong physically."

The Salford-based talking newspaper is distributed throughout the area, including Little Hulton.

Veteran volunteer, Bert Tyldesley said Social Services chiefs in Salford have expressed concern that the service could be lost but he told the BEN that volunteers were determined to carry on.

Mr Tyldesley said: "We are obviously upset by what has happened and Social Services are also anxious that the newspaper could be lost, but we will not allow that to happen.

"We had just bought new equipment and the burglars obviously came just for that. We have been done at least five times in the last five years."

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