YOUNG dancers have been left heartbroken after thousands of pounds collected to take part in a prestigious international contest in Italy was stolen.

A 42-strong team from Freak Dance are due to represent England at the International Dance Federation World Championship – known as the ‘dance Olympics’ – in Italy this May.

But heartless thieves broke into the school’s Dale Street studios overnight on Saturday (January 24), stealing £3,000 in registration fees to secure places for the youngsters taking part.

Owners Aeron Lloyd-Booth and Jak Wren had estimated the squad, made up of young people aged seven to 21, would need to raise around £13,500 to attend the competition on May 27.

More than £6,000 has already been fundraised through a Christmas Eve bag pack, Take That tribute night at Radcliffe Civic Suite and planned Peel Tower abseil.

Burglars broke in through the studio’s back bathroom window between 4pm on Saturday and 10am on Sunday, smashing the window and removing bricks and metal bars to gain entry.

They then cut the wires to turn off the alarm and CCTV before making off with the cash, which was in three folders in a locked cupboard, and two laptops.

Aeron Lloyd-Booth, who runs the school, said: “The children paid their registration fees on Saturday and because it was such a large amount of cash I did not want to walk home with it in the dark.

“I thought it would be safer locked in the studio until the banks opened on Monday, because of all the security measures we have in place. I am always so careful.

“We think the burglar is someone who has been in the studio or who has heard about the fundraising, which makes it even more awful.

“We treat everyone who walks in that door as friends. Whoever did this probably knows the name of every child they were stealing from.”

The cost of the damage to the studio’s window is still unknown at this stage, but parents of Freak Dance performers rushed to the rescue on Sunday to help secure the building and fit a new alarm.

Five different teams secured places to perform in the world championship after auditions in November, and will compete in categories including hip hop, street dance, ballet and tap.

Youngsters had paid around £80 each to register, with the fundraising mainly to cover air fares and hotels, and the squad will now have to double their efforts to compensate for the theft.

One of the laptops stolen contained photographs from when Freak Dance, which was previously based in Bridgefield Street, first opened in 2010 and the other contained team music.

A fundraising page set up to help raise the cash received more than £1,000 in donations within 24 hours of the break in after it was shared dozens of times on Facebook.

Aeron, aged 28, established Freak Dance in 2010. He said: “The response of the community was amazing. Every single person who donated restored my faith in Radcliffe.

“It is great to know we are doing something to make the town proud and we are truly grateful.

“We are not being beaten and the help we have been offered has made us even more determined. We want to show the kids you have to fight back.

“But it is the children they have stolen from, and the opportunity to compete in Italy is something they have worked so hard for.”

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed enquiries were ongoing but no one had been arrested.

To make a donation: go to gofundme.com/ktejug