A furious home-owner has blasted police for their failure to investigate a raid on his home by masked men which left his elderly mother and two young daughters terrified.
The 70-year-old grandmother was looking after her grandchildren, aged five and seven, at her son’s house, when they spotted two men in balaclavas outside the home.
The family say the men were armed with a crowbar and jemmy as they walked into their front garden at 1.10pm, last Thursday.
The grandmother, who does not wish to be named, quickly locked the doors whilst her granddaughter ran to the phone and called 999 at their house in Colchester, Essex.
But, five days later the family claim they are still waiting to hear back from police.
The homeowner, who has asked not to be identified, said: ‘My mother looked up and saw this balaclava-hooded man peering up at her, because the garden is sloped down.
‘The door was open.
‘She was terrified and shut the door immediately and locked everything up.
‘My eldest daughter ran to the front of the house and through the window saw two men in black hoodies with grey gloves on running back to the car and it sped off.’
The young girl dialled 999 to alert the police before handing the phone to her grandmother.
A furious home-owner has blasted police for their failure to investigate a raid on his home by masked men which left his elderly mother and two young daughters terrified
The family say the men were armed with a crowbar and jemmy as they walked into their front garden at 1.10pm, last Thursday
The youngster also noted descriptions of the men and of their black Audi RS3, driven by a third man as well for police – CCTV was sent on the same day as the incident as well.
The father said: ‘Police response is shocking as far as I am concerned.
‘At best I would describe it as woefully inadequate. I have had to phone them up, send the email and had to chase them up.
‘It was raised as a call and they classed it as a civil trespass and said they wouldn’t do anything.
The homeowner, who has asked not to be identified, said: ‘My mother looked up and saw this balaclava-hooded man peering up at her, because the garden is sloped down
The youngster also noted descriptions of the men and of their black Audi RS3, driven by a third man as well for police – CCTV was sent on the same day as the incident as well.
‘I phoned up later. We have CCTV of them breaking in and they said if you send us a link officers might look at it if they need to.’
The father continued: ‘It was raised as a call and they classed it as a civil trespass and said they wouldn’t do anything.
‘I phoned up later. We have CCTV of them breaking in and they said if you send us a link officers might look at it if they need to.’
‘Police response is shocking as far as I am concerned.
‘At best I would describe it as woefully inadequate. I have had to phone them up, send the email and had to chase them up.
‘My eldest daughter is utterly traumatised by it, she won’t sleep.
This is not the first time Essex police have delayed in responding to serious crimes reported
‘My other daughter has been very upset, very clingy.’
In a statement released from Essex Police, a spokesman said: ‘We were called at around 1.15pm on Thursday, July 26 with reports of two people with their faces covered in the garden of an address in Fernlea, Colchester.
‘The people were disturbed and made off.
‘A garden gate had also been damaged.
‘The incident was initially incorrectly graded but is now being treated as an attempted burglary.’
This is not the first time Essex police have delayed in responding to serious crimes reported.
Last year, a man almost got away with stealing £26,000 worth of chairs after Essex Police said they were ‘too busy’ to investigate.
Business owner Jack Whiteley, 69, captured perfect CCTV of thieves making off with garden furniture – even noting down the licence plate of the van they were taken in.
Officers initially said they were ‘unable to assist’ due to a heavy workload before they apologised and said they would make his case a priority.