A RESTAURANT owner said he is heartbroken, after thieves targeted his business for the second time in a week.

Viva Espana, in Winter Hey Lane, was burgled on January 2 — just four days after the first attack.

Both times the offender broke in through the roof of the property by removing tiles to make a hole big enough to fit through.

An iPod and bottles of spirits were taken from the property as well as credit card receipts from customers who had visited the restaurant on New Year’s Eve.

A small amount of cash was also taken.

Owner of the Spanish restaurant, Francisco Javier Garcia said: “It is heartbreaking.

“We work hard to keep the business running.

“What has happened makes you feel a bit violated, it is an invasion of our privacy and of our good will and the hard work we do.”

The first incident took place on December 29, when a laptop, two Ipad’s, an iPhone 4 and cash from the till was stolen.

Mr Garcia said the break-ins have come as a shock to him and his staff because they have not had any issues with crime, since opening in 2001.

He added: “We haven’t had as much as a broken window before now.

“We repaired the hole that was made the first time and the same system has been used again to get back in.

“I think it was the same person because it is like they came for stuff they had left behind before.

“They went to the till again but we didn’t have any cash notes in there, but we had some coins which they took.

“They took the receipts from New Year’s Eve too that had customers’ credit card details on, so I was worried about that.

“But police said they would need more information than what is on them to use them.

“It is just devastating.

“After I found out it had happened again I just thought, I don’t want to go to work.

“I felt like ‘what’s the point?’ But you have to carry on.”

On top of paying for the damage caused to the roof, which has cost hundreds due to the type of tiles, Mr Garcia has also had to re-purchase all of his kitchen stock.

He said: “They broke more tiles this time and it has been hard to replace them

“It is an old building and the tiles are unusual so we have had to go to different places trying to replace them.

“So the tiles alone have cost us about £200.

“And because the thieves went into the kitchen, I had to throw all the food away in case they had done anything to it.

“There were a lot of expensive meats that had to be replaced.

“Mr Chips, further down, had its bin stolen so we think they used that to transport the stock.”

Following the incident Mr Garcia has had plywood put under the tiles of the roof and has also had an alarm installed.

A police spokesman said the incident is believed to have taken place between 11pm on December 31 and 9am on January 3.

It is not known whether the two incidents are connected.

Police have asked anyone with information to contact 101 and quote reference 526 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.