THE owners of a Tottington bar have described a theft of eggs and money from an honesty box outside their premises as "disheartening".

Staff at Stanley's of Tottington found the community egg cart had been vandalised and money stolen as they began preparing for what they hope is a successful reopening once lockdown measures are eased.

"We've had a community egg cart since October last year but closed over December after we had a few issues," said Anna Tollitt. "It's on a main road but we're determined to give it another go and we've had a few suggestions from our regulars how to make it work.

"It is a shame but thankfully we've got plenty to be excited about at the moment and we've just got to remember it's one bad egg among a lot of nice people!

"We're lucky to have such a good support network and the locals are so committed to us."

Stanley’s of Tottington opened in the former home of Capito and Café Turin, in Market Street, in 2019.

The man behind the venture is Tottington resident, Tom Sharman, who had worked at the bar under its previous owners since the age of 13, firstly as a pot washer before eventually becoming bartender and then manager under its previous guises.

He named the bar after his grandfather, Stanley Woodcock, a long-term resident of the village who died in 2018.

"Obviously it's all guidelines at the moment but we have our fingers crossed," said Tom, about the recent Government pledge to allow beer gardens to reopen from April 12 and indoor dining from May 17.

"We are very fortunate that Stanley's has an enormous beer garden and we were already a hot spot for people to go.

"It feels like an extra silver lining!"

Tom decided not to try and sell takeaway or provide other services through lockdown, meaning there has been little or no income coming in for huge swathes of the year.

"We've not made a penny," he said. "If anything we have tried to spend money on the community with charity quiz nights but thankfully we have managed to keep our heads above water."

Tom and Anna, who are old school friends, are also planning to open a second Stanley's in Bury town centre on Silver Street.

"We cannot wait," added Anna. "It's will be a copy and paste of Stanley's in Tottington because we know it works really well and we hope it will really put that atmosphere of a community bar in the centre of Bury."