Family wake up to knifeman in their home in Rayleigh (From Echo)

Family wake up to knifeman in their home in Rayleigh

2:00pm Tuesday 24th July 2012 in News

A YOUNG family confronted a knifeman who burst into their home in the middle of the night.

The couple, who do not want to be identified, were sleeping when the burglar smashed his way into their home in High Road, Rayleigh , brandishing a 10in kitchen knife.

He ran up to a bedroom where the woman’s 52-year-old mother and 16-year-old brother, who were visiting, were sleeping and started shouting.

The husband, 29, opened his bedroom door and confronted the man on the landing of the house before slamming the door to protect his pregnant wife and 21-month-old daughter.

His wife, 25, said: “It happened really quickly. “He came straight up the stairs. Mum said she opened her eyes and he was standing at the end of the bed holding a knife. “He was saying ‘stay there, stay there’.

“As he went to come into our room, my husband jumped up and faced him as the door opened. “The man was sniffing and shaking. My husband was screaming ‘get out of the house!’.

“He didn’t try to come in – he just went.”

Police dog handlers arrived and scoured the area, but could not find the man.

She added: “My mum said he looked a bit confused, like he was looking for someone else. “He didn’t say give me money, he didn’t ask for anything.”

The couple moved in just eight weeks ago. They had only been in bed an hour when the man broke in at 12.10am on Friday.

He tried to get in through a back door first and broke the lock, but then he smashed a glass panel next to the front door. Nothing was taken.

Investigating Officer Det Con Mark Sawyer said: “This break-in happened on a busy road near to the Shell petrol station so we’re confident someone would have seen the man running off from there or at least behaving suspiciously shortly before.

“This has been a frightening experience for this family and the man who confronted the intruder was brave to do so.”

The burglar was white, in his early twenties and was wearing a blue top. He had messy brown hair.

Anyone with information in connection with this burglary is urged to contact detectives at Southend police station on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.