A BURGLAR broke into a sex shop, watched a pornographic DVD and then stole a life-size inflatable doll.

The thief got into the X-rated Bury store via the roof, leaving plaster and debris everywhere.

The offender rifled through various sex toys for men, before making off with the £299 Heidi Lauritsen love doll.

Owner of The Adult Store, Alan Brook, rushed to the shop in Bolton Road expecting the worst when he heard from a neighbour about the break-in.

But when he arrived at 6.30am on Sunday morning he was relieved to see there was no damage to the front of the building.

As he entered, he saw the empty packaging of the love doll, as well as the damage to the roof.

Mr Brook said: “The computer screen flickered into life from standby and a porn DVD was still playing on the screen.

“He must have watched a bit of porn on the office computer and exited through the same hole in the roof leaving the empty box but no love doll.

“It’s been a little bit awkward, but life goes on.

“It is not the stock being taken that’s the problem, but the hassle that goes with it.”

Mr Brook, who has had the shop since 1974, said break-ins were very rare, with only a handful of incidents in the store’s 43-year history.

The shop roof was quickly repaired by a “very helpful” local builder, said Mr Brook, and alarm technicians have updated the security cameras and alarm at the site.

“The empty box has been checked for fingerprints and we are hoping the CCTV will bring up some good pictures of this lusty local thief,” said Mr Brook.

“The police have been fantastic, but at the end of the day it’s a big waste of resources for them, they had to bring a forensics team out.”

Police confirmed they were called to the shop at approximately 3.10am on Sunday.

A GMP spokesman said: “We had a report that the offender broke into the shop before conducting a search, before taking an item and leaving the store.”

Anybody with any information should contact police on non-emergency number 101, quoting incident number 368 of February 26.

Crimestoppers runs an anonymous 0800 555111 phone number that people can call to pass on information about crime.