Police investigate aggravated burglary in Fordham in which a man and woman were threatened with a knife

A man and woman were both threatened with a kitchen knife after intruders pushed their way into a home in Fordham on Tuesday evening.

Police are investigating the incident which happened in Market Street around 6pm on Tuesday (October 6) and involved a man claiming to be from the “water board”.

He pushed the victim, a man in his 70s, into the house and was followed by three men wearing black bandanas, woolly hats and gloves.

They threatened the victim and a woman in her 40s, who was also at the house, with a knife from the kitchen, demanding cash and the jewellery they were wearing.

They then pushed the couple to the floor before ransacking the house and then making off with jewellery, including necklaces and rings, and cash.

The men are all described as white and wearing dark clothing.

Detective Sergeant John Yore said: “This is a particularly unpleasant incident, which has left the victims feeling very vulnerable. We have the right support in place which will help them cope and recover from this awful experience.

“We are prioritising the investigation and are committed to catching those responsible as soon as possible. I urge anyone with information to come forward.”

Det Sgt Yore also urged residents not to let unexpected visitors or cold callers into their homes unless they were satisfied that the caller was genuine.

He said: “A genuine caller will expect to have their identification checked and should not be offended if they are asked for identification, to enable residents to check that they are genuine.

“I also urge residents to be vigilant with their own security and that of their neighbours’, particularly if they are vulnerable, and request that any suspicious activity is reported to the police”.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.