A TRADESMAN is concerned for his livelihood after his tools were stolen from a job in Radcliffe.

Thieves broke into Butterworth Street Chippy, stealing thousands of pounds worth of equipment belonging to builders who were working at the site, a builder has claimed.

Specialist power tools owned by staff at Haslam and Noble Property Services were taken during the raid at the weekend.

Lewis Noble, who works at the Oldham-based firm, said: “Staff turned up at the site on Monday morning and someone had knocked the lock out and taken everything out of the property.

“All of my personal equipment is gone.

“This will have a massive impact on the business and on me. I now have nothing to work with. I am unable to work without my tools. I do not know what I am going to do.”

The theft is understood to have happened between 8pm on Saturday and 8am on Monday and has been reported to police.

More than 15 pieces of equipment are believed to have been taken. Mr Noble has reported several Milwaukee power tools missing, including cordless drills, a heavy duty jigsaw, disc cutter, circular saw and a multi-tool, which is used for cutting, scraping, sawing and sanding.

It is estimated the cost of the tools was about £3,000 in total. Some of the batteries also cost about £120 each. Mr Noble was unable to work yesterday due to the theft and said he is therefore unable to earn a wage.

The 38-year-old dad, who grew up in Radcliffe but now lives in Shaw, said: “I’m going to have to try and borrow some tools from colleagues or people I know in the industry.

“I might have to go and take out a loan to try and replace some of my equipment. That is the only thing I can think of. It is a huge financial burden, as well as trying to earn a wage which I’m going to struggle doing because I don’t have my tools.

“This is the first time this has happened to me.”

Mr Noble set up the firm alongside former school friend Jonathan Haslam about one year ago. The pair attended Coney Green Technology College in Radcliffe, which shut in 2004.

Mr Haslam said the pair have been friends for about 25 years.

"We have both worked hard and gained a good customer base and the business was starting to come together. We are getting busy and are looking at taking on people to work with us.

"Now we have lost these tools, costing us thousands of pounds, it has set has set us back in our plans. Now we will probably not have the funds to take on larger jobs. It has also lost us days in having to go and buy new tools."

Mr Noble echoed concerns about the theft resulting in delays to the current job at the chip shop as well as other projects in coming weeks.

He added that there will be uninsured losses.

A post shared on the Spotted:Radcliffe Facebook page reads: “Between Saturday night and Sunday morning Butterworth Street Chippy was broken into and tools stolen which has forced us to stop working!

“If anyone has any information about this or heard tools being sold or saw anything suspicious please could you let us know?

“Working men having tools stolen is wrong and the lowest of the low! Just trying to earn a living and this jeopardises that. Thanks and any information will be treated in confidence and might help, no matter how little the information is.”

Police are investigating the burglary.

A Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said: "We were called shortly before 9.15am today to a report of a burglary at a premises in Butterworth Street.
"Unknown offender(s) gained entry to the premises and stole tools."

Police enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.