Lego enthusiast tells of heartbreak after thieves break into his home and ransack collection

A Lego enthusiast who is a YouTube sensation has told of his heartbreak after thieves stole his beloved collection.

French model builder Louis, who goes by the name ‘republicattak’, has worked on his own unique Star Wars designs since 2004 and regularly posts videos displaying his carefully crafted models.

But the 20-year-old has been left devastated after crooks broke into his home and stole most of his Lego, which he amassed over 14 years.

Sharing his distress in a tearful video on his channel, he said: “Just been burgled; most of my collection stolen, my last creation which took me 10 months that I was about to finished, destroyed; after 14 years of collection and 8 years of YouTube, I'm just ending it. Bye.”

In the footage, he speaks of coming home from work to find broken windows and doors, along with a litany of Lego bricks discarded across the ground and on his stairs.

Unable to contain his emotions, he explained his passion for Lego as a means of relaxing when he was home from work.

With so much of his collection stolen and unsure if he could have such a stock of Lego again, he has said he will discard his hobby.

“I’m just stopping Legos,” he said. “It really was my passion. It was a part of me.”

Speaking to his viewers on his channel, he said: “It was really great to have you.

“Thank you for following me for these years.”

He also shared his bemusement that he felt his Lego may have been intentionally targeted, with a laptop and other expensive items left behind during the break in.

However, since his announcement of quitting, he has received an outpouring of support from people offering to send him pieces and suggesting he does not give up on his passion.

One wrote: "I have some sets I could send you.

"Seriously, I would send them to you. To be honest i don´t know the feeling of your collection being robbed but i don´t want to see you leaving youtube because of this."

Another said: "Don't give up on your passion."

On Reddit, one person said they had contacted Lego to ask if any of its team may be able to help replace some of the missing items.

The ransacked Lego fan has since posted a list of the specific items stolen to alert anyone to suspicious sellers.

He has asked for anybody who may be offered the items to contact him.

Speaking to the Standard about the support he has received, he said: "It's totally unexpected. I really felt alone, even if my family supported me, and seeing all this support is really reassuring that it's a fan community all passionate about it."

A fundraising page has been set up for him, which has raised more than $13,000 already to assist him with replacing his items.