Staff and families have been left ‘heartbroken’ after burglars trashed a nursery and stole electrical goods. 

Pendle Nursery on Fountain Street was the target of yet another burglary in Barnoldswick where the offenders “smashed the fire doors and removed the wood to get in through the back of the building”.

Staff, dressed up and excited for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day, arrived to the ransacked nursery this morning (March 17) and made the decision to close for safety reasons.

Lisa Beckwith, daughter of the nursery owner, said: “We are absolutely heartbroken because we were all excited to raise money for charity today.

“PlayStations have been stolen and they left juice all over the place which is odd, they just generally made a mess.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had to close and it’s the first time we’ve had to close since we opened in 1962 (for something like this). There’s never been an occasion where we’ve had to shut but it’s not secure.

“They came from the back of the nursery looking for money but we don’t keep much on here.

“It’s very upsetting and it’s the disruption to our standard. We had children crying and even school children were disheartened. We were on hold to the police for 40 minutes and they still haven’t arrived but they’re on their way, I don’t blame them though, they are understaffed and it’s difficult.”

One parent, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: “My boy was looking forward to today as it’s Red Nose Day and it’s been ruined. Parents had bought outfits.

“The nursery is amazing and they'd gone to so much trouble to do activities with them and it’s been ransacked and they can't open. Not to mention, we now have to find childcare to go to work."

A spokesperson for the police said: “We were called around 8.15am today (Friday, March 17) to a report of a burglary at an address in Fountain Street, Barnoldswick.

“An investigation is under way and enquiries ongoing.”

Barnoldswick has been subject to a spate of burglaries in the past month. The Co-op on Railhall Road has been burgled twice and Barlic Bites in Albert Road was broken into two weeks ago.

Anyone with information about the Pendle Nursery burglary is asked to call 101 quoting log 0245 of March 17.