NI men attacked by burglars armed with pitchfork and metal poles

The incident happened in the Corgary Road area of Castlederg last night.

Three masked men entered the property around 9.45pm, armed with a pitchfork and metal poles.

There were three occupants in the house at the time - two men aged in their 60s and 70s - and a woman, also aged in her 60s.

Police said both men were forced to lie down on the floor on their stomachs as one of the suspects stood over them with a metal pole.

However, they managed to take the pole off the suspect who then fled along with the other two. A sum of money and three mobile phones were reported stolen.

One of the male occupants sustained minor injuries to his leg and face and was treated at the scene.

Two suspects are described as being of skinny build and one described of being of a heavy build.

Detective Sergeant Jack said: “This must have been an horrific ordeal for the victims. This happened late last night in their home; somewhere they deserve to feel safe and they have understandably been left shaken.

“We know when a person’s home or property has been targeted it can be an extremely traumatising experience for victims and their families.”

Appealing for information, he continued: “I want to reassure the public we doing everything we can to identify criminals involved in this type of crime and bring them to justice, but we also need the public’s help so we are appealing to people to watch out for their neighbours. Please, report any suspicious activity you see in your area, whether it’s a strange vehicle or people in the area.

“Every piece of information is vital as it could be the key to catching the perpetrators.”