PRICELESS fairground equipment used to help raise thousands of pounds for charity has been destroyed by firebugs.

And devastated owner Jonathon Hall has blasted the thieves who have wrecked his life's pride and joy.

Mr Hall, aged 71, from Luciol Close, Tyldesley, had gathered the historic fairground equipment over the past 30 years and took it to shows and charity events around the country.

He has even entertained members of the Royal Family with them and some items have been used as props by TV programme makers including the BBC's 'Last of the Summer Wine'.

But the equipment went up in flames when the Bedford van it was stored in was stolen then dumped and torched on land in Darcy Lever.

A distraught Mr Hall said: "This was my life. It's given me and so many people so much pleasure over the years and now its gone.

"I just can't describe how I feel about people who could do this kind of thing."

The vehicle - named Lady Dorothy in memory of his late wife - was stolen from a yard next to the A6 at Walkden. Within just over an hour it was spotted in flames at Darcy Lever.

Mr Hall believes the van was stolen because some Bedford van engines can be sold on the black market for four figure sums.

As he picked through the charred remains he said: "They must have been disappointed when they realised it wasn't an expensive engine, opened the back, panicked when they realised there was distinctive equipment in there and decided to dump it."

Among the fairground equipment stored in the van was a coconut shy dating from 1900 - believed to be the last one of its type in Britain, swing boats built in 1897 and an old car and bike roundabout.

Mr Hall added: "The vehicle was insured but the cost was just too prohibitive to insure the equipment. They're special pieces of my life and pieces of history that have gone forever now.

"It's like someone going in the Louvre in Paris and smashing up and burning all the famous paintings. If anyone knows anything about this I just hope they'll tell the police."

Police have been asked by the fire service to investigate.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.