A GLITTERING haul of jewels worth £50,000 has been stolen from the living quarters of a Bolton newsagents.

The haul, stolen by a sneak thief, consisted of more than 200 pieces of jewellery and £8,000 in cash.

The theft of the jewels, owned by newsagent Tahera Ditta and her five daughters, has left the family devastated.

Today, as detectives probed the theft, the family offered a £5,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the gems and arrest of the thief.

The jewellery, in a black sports bag, was stolen from a first floor bedroom of the terraced shop in Bradford Street on the outskirts of Bolton town centre as the family watched TV downstairs.

Mrs Ditta had intended to deposit the bag of jewels at a bank earlier that day but was not able to leave the shop because they were so busy.

She and her daughters had worn the some of the jewellery only the previous day at a friend's wedding.

The thief climbed into the shop through a bedroom window. He searched several rooms before finding the bag, which had been left by Mrs Ditta in a filing cabinet only 10 minutes earlier.

The stolen haul included 40 pairs of earrings, 47 rings, 31 bracelets, 11 jewellery sets, 17 chains and 25 nose studs.

Although £8,000 was also stolen, it is the jewellery - handed down by grandparents - which has devastated the family.

Mrs Ditta said: "In a way I blame myself because the jewellery should have been in the bank.

"Although the jewellery cost a lot of money, it is the sentimental value of it that matters."

Four name plates on bracelets stolen by the thieves bear the names Sabahat, Aliya and Najma.

The family have increased security at their shop since the theft.

Detectives are visiting second hand dealers and are appealing for help from local collectors. Anyone with information is asked to contact Farnworth CID on the hotline number 0161 856 5854.

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