THE occupants of a flat in Old Hall were forced to flee their home when it was raided by a gang of balaclava-clad men.

A wallet and cash were stolen during the aggravated burglary on Lander Close, with the homeowners being described as ‘extremely shaken up’ following the incident.

Shortly before 11pm on Sunday, February 17, three men wearing balaclavas began banging on the front door of the property - causing the occupants to flee.

The man then forced the door open, conducted an ‘untidy search’ of the flat and damaged a number of items.

Some items, including a wallet containing a quantity of cash, were also taken from the property before the offenders fled.

They are described as being around 6ft tall with ‘proportionate’ builds and were wearing dark clothing – including gloves and long-sleeved black tracksuit tops and bottoms.

Detective sergeant Mark Naylor said: “I would like to reassure the community that this is believed to be an isolated incident, and we are determined to catch the offenders and bring them to justice.

“The incident has understandably left those who were inside the flat extremely shaken up.

“Burglary is a serious crime in which victims are targeted in their own home, which is the place they should be able to feel most safe.

“Being the victim of a burglary is always a deeply upsetting experience, but it is even more traumatic when the offenders break in while you are at home.

“Enquiries are ongoing in a bid to establish the identities of the offenders, and I appeal to anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area to come forward.

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“Perhaps you saw the offenders before they broke into the house or fleeing the area afterwards, either on foot or in a vehicle - if so, please contact us here at Warrington Police Station.

“We also want to speak to anyone who believes that they may know who the offenders are or have CCTV or dashcam footage of them, either on foot or in a vehicle.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Cheshire Police on 101, quoting incident number IML 325243, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.