Neighbours catch thieves trying to break into house.

A family in Hornchurch was awoken by the noise of thieves in the house next door trying to break in to their property. The house in Hornchurch is currently being renovated so boarded up whilst work men carry out repairs and construction work.

As the neighbours slept, they were awoken by noises coming from the house next door. Suzanne told the Havering Daily: “At 5.10am yesterday my son who sleeps at the back of our house was woken up by a banging noise. Our neighbours house is unoccupied at the moment and the house is all boarded around the perimeter and being renovated. He looked out of his window and saw three men using a crow bar to try and get into our neighbours house.

“He shouted out to them and they ran to the bottom of the garden and jumped over the back fence and in doing so broke the fence down. He came into us and my husband and son then went to investigate the rear access, then noticing the broken fence and also their shed door off its hinges.

“I was looking out of the front window and saw these three people suddenly appear, they must have come through someone’s side gate, our rear exit is secured by big metal gates. Two of them casually walked to the top of our road, whilst the other one crossed the road and then he appeared driving a big van. The new owners have been informed and are obviously upset.

“The burglars were no doubt opportunists, knowing no one was living there, hoping to find some tools to steal.”