A MOBILE phone shop is facing tough sanctions — and even closure — after police found 30 phones which had been reported lost or stolen.

Police seized about 300 mobile phones when they raided The Phone Market in St Helens Road, Daubhill, at about 11am on Wednesday following a tip-off.

Officers found that 30 of the phones had been blocked by the networks after they were reported lost or stolen.

Now police and Bolton Trading Standards are carrying out a review of the business, which could see it closed down if it does not agree to clean up its act.

Insp Barry Short said: “The purpose of this warrant was to disrupt the sale of stolen phones, taken from burglaries and thefts in Bolton.”

He said shops which sold secondhand phones and did not carry out the check required by law were acting as an outlet for criminals.

Police are now going to insist the shop keeps proper records of all transactions, while Trading Standards is looking into whether the business has to re-register as a secondhand dealer.

It is also carrying out tests on phone chargers seized from the business to make sure they have passed strict safety tests.

Two men, aged in their 30s, who were running the shop, were arrested on suspicion of theft and handling stolen goods and were held for questioning. They were bailed pending inquiries.

Two men, aged in their 20s, believed to be customers, were also arrested and have been bailed.

Following the raid, police executed search warrants at two houses in Deane and seized two games consoles and a laptop computer.

The raid was carried out by Bolton’s burglary task force as part of Operation Lockdown.

The Phone Market was closed for business yesterday but the owner, who asked not to be named, said he did not know why his shop had been raided.

He added: “This is a legitimate repair business. Phones can be blocked for many different reasons.”

The task force is appealing for people who have lost or had phones stolen to contact them with their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number to see if their phone is among the haul.

The burglary hotline is 0161 856 5640 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

pkeaveny@the boltonnews.co.uk