Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Woman in her 70s burgled by masked men armed with baseball bat

A woman in her 70s was forced to stay in her Carryduff home as three masked men searched it on Saturday night.

The men, all wearing dark clothing and blue gloves, reportedly made their way into the Frankhill Park house through a back door at around 9.15pm.

One of the men was armed with a wooden baseball bat and took a phone from the woman in the house, who had been watching TV.

Read more: Irishman recalls going to bed one night and waking up in ICU one month later

One of the men then watched her as the other two went through the other rooms in the house.

The men searched the property for 45 minutes, with police saying nothing was taken.

The woman's phone was handed back to her before them men left the house.

Police said she was not hurt during the incident, but was left badly shaken.

One neighbour said it was "very upsetting" to hear the woman had been forced to endure the fright of being burgled.

"I saw the police car outside the house and I thought what in the name of God is going on?," she told Belfast Live.

"A few years ago, there used to be a bit of bother with young ones throwing eggs and that at windows, but there's nothing really happens here now.

"It's an area with more elderly people in it really, not young families or that, but you just don't know what's round the corner."

Another man who had lived on the street for decades said he had been checking in with those living alone ever since the incident.

"There's always someone eyeing something up unfortunately," he told Belfast Live.

"But it's very much not the usual for here.

"You'd get the odd few young ones shouting and yelling and maybe a bit of drink but no, it's quiet.

"It's worrying though for the elderly people in the area, so it's just a case of keeping an eye out now for each other."

Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact them.

Read more: Man arrested after police seize £50,000 of 'suspected cannabis' and £100,000 cash

Read more: Derry assault appeal after man hospitalised with head injury

To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.