A man has been arrested after an art gallery in Bury was broken into and a number of goods were stolen.

The MASA-UK Art Gallery on Bolton Street was burgled overnight on Tuesday with a number of items taken and others damaged.

A large statue of a polar bear worth £550 was among the art goods that were stolen and the front window was smashed.

But the items have since been found and are in the possession of the police.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and has been bailed pending further enquiries, Greater Manchester Police has said.

Bury Times: The MASA-UK Art Gallery in Bury was broken into this weekThe MASA-UK Art Gallery in Bury was broken into this week (Image: Matija Sapundzieska)

The burglary has left gallery owner Matija Sapundzieska considering relocating.

She said: “On Wednesday morning, our neighbour, the estate agents called us to ask us what happened, and we had no idea.

"We have very valuable, maybe not financially, but valuable to the artists we display for them.

“I was saying to my son I hope the polar bear is not damaged, and one of the few missing things was the polar bear because it had already sold.”

The customer was paying for the sculpture monthly and was due to collect it next month after the final payment.

Bury Times: The large polar bear statueThe large polar bear statue (Image: Matija Sapundzieska)

Mrs Sapundzieska added: “Instead of doing something else like planning our 10-year survival, we were meeting police officers."

She also said that the incident had left her feeling vulnerable, fragile and worried about it happening again.