MEMBERS of a community project based at an old allotment have vowed to continue with their work, despite being targeted by thieves.

Tools and equipment including a portable generator, a chainsaw, battery drills and a saw were stolen from the Men in Sheds Willow Hey project, in Doe Hey Grove, Farnworth.

A video camera and tripod were also stolen.

Thieves broke into the site, off Lavender Road, either late on Monday, February 5 or during the early hours of the next day.

The project provides a place where socially isolated men can make friends, learn new skills and make a contribution to the community.

Chris Wood is the community development officer for Bolton at Home, which runs the scheme in partnership with Age UK and Bolton Council.

He said: “When you’re trying to do a positive thing it’s a bit of a kick in the teeth.

“They knew what they were doing and that we're helping out older men and the wider community, but it’s just a couple of mindless people.

“They won’t stop us on our journey, we’ve just got to keep ambling on, they won’t stop us.”

Mr Wood added that the members of the group were remaining positive, despite the setback.

He said: There’s a bit of anger, you can understand that, they have ownership of the place and it’s like an attack on them, really. But they’ve been quite good about it, they’re very positive people.

“They’ve said it won’t knock them – and on the day it happened we had a big fire with jacket potatoes and cheese and beans and all sat around the campfire.

“So despite a bad thing happening, they all came together as a community. There was great support and camaraderie.”

Mr Wood says the thieves had been lucky to get away with the amount of equipment they had.

He said: “It’s just unfortunate. We normally, we usually take stuff away with us.

“The generator’s the main thing, it’s new and worth about £460."

Measures have been taken to increase security at the site and mains power will soon be installed to improve lighting.

The men are also building a new brick building with a steel roof in which to store valuables in future.

Anyone with information about the thefts should call police on 101.