A FILM company owner has spoken of his heartbreak after his studios and cinema were ransacked by thieves.

Elerbey Studios and Zoetrope cinema were targeted in a break-in some time between last Sunday night and last Tuesday, with thieves taking every single item of value including cameras, computers and mixing desks, the owner has said.

The company, which was founded eight years ago, has only recently relocated to Gaskell Street in Bolton.

There they have a studio space and cinema which are used for a range of filming projects and host a variety of events and free community film festivals.

Following the break-in, devastated Studios staff say they have seen the business they have worked so hard to build up "vanish overnight", and have had to cancel several upcoming events and a film festival for school children.

Lee Bolton, the studio's owner and award-winning director, said: "We did our last film festival last Sunday. It was really good fun and we had a great audience and that night we closed up.

"Then on Tuesday I got a phone call saying that someone had broken in and taken everything.

"There was nothing left. They stripped everything, even down to the wires."

Mr Bolton estimates the value of the stolen equipment to be around £20,000 pounds however he says the effect the break-in will have on the community has left him the most disheartened.

He added: "It doesn't seem like a lot of money, but it's money we don't have.

"We set up Zoetrope to bring more arts into Bolton and do something a bit different.

"We had great support in the town and it was like coming home. But it doesn't feel that way now.

"For me personally, I have been filming since I was 16 and I don't feel like doing it anymore. It's taken the spark out of me. It's so disheartening."

To help the company get back on its feet and back to serving the people of Bolton a Go Fund Me page has been set up to raise money for Elerby Studios.

So far the fundraiser is more than half way to reaching its target.

Mr Bolton said: "The Go Fund Me page is doing really well and I'm dead pleased. The support we have had is amazing.

He added: "We are quite tough and we will rise this, I know we will.

"It's vital that we build this space up again."

To donate visit www.gofundme.com/restoration-of-zoetrope-cinema-after-robbery.