BOSSES at a community shop and cafe have said a break-in at the weekend won’t deter them from ‘creating jobs’ in Blackburn.

Thieves stole cash, stock and computer equipment when they broke into the Community Clothing shop and cafe in Lord Street West, causing considerable damage.

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The social enterprise shop is the pilot store set up by fashion designer Patrick Grant, best known as a judge on the television series, The Great British Sewing Bee, to help people in the textile industry.

The thieves stole a significant amount of jeans, sweaters and shirts manufactured at Community Clothing’s factory in Shadsworth.

It is a manufacturers’ cooperative whose mission statement is ‘to make quality affordable clothes for men and women, to create great jobs for skilled workers and restore pride in Britain’s textile communities’.

Money and an iPad, which doubled as the shop and coffee shop’s till, were also taken after the thieves smashed through the front door and another internal door leading to the stock room.

The store on Lord Street West also has close links with Blackburn based charity Bootstrap, which sends people there to gain retail and barista work experience, which has resulted in dozens of people getting back into employment.

Bootstrap stepped in after the break-in to make sure the clothes were still available to buy in Blackburn at its premises.

Mr Grant said: “The break-in is a set back for us and we’re all saddened by it.

“But Community Clothing is proud of the shop, proud to be in Blackburn and we won’t let this damage our plans to make clothes and create jobs in the area.

“I’m so grateful for our friends at Bootstrap. Their team have dropped everything and rallied round to get the shop secure again. It’s an example of communities pulling together when the going gets tough.”

Shop manager Naomi West said: “I found the door smashed through when I arrived here on Saturday morning.

“There’s a large amount of our stock gone and a lot of damage to the doors.

“It’s sickening really as everyone connected with the shop is working so hard. There’s a lot of positive things for the community happening here and then to be targeted like this is upsetting.

“We had detectives and a CSI team around on Saturday morning and they took a footprint impression and fingerprints from the front door.

“One thing did cheer us up though, while we dealing with the police a woman came in and bought a pair of jeans from us just to show her support for what we stand for.”

Elizabeth Taylor, CEO of Bootstrap, said: “We’ve done all we can to help. Community Clothing does fantastic work and has helped several of our clients.

“The shop has had to be cleared of the remaining stock but so people can still buy the products in Blackburn we will be selling them from the Bootstrap premises in Tontine Street until the shop on Lord Street West is open again.”

A spokesman for the police said anyone who has information about the break-in can contact them on 101.