At around 5.30pm, officers were called to Well Lane to reports of a burglary, which is believed to have happened around 5pm. Four men are reported to have entered through an unlocked back door and confronted the elderly occupiers, one of whom was grabbed and the other pushed onto the floor. One of the offenders was reported to have been in possession of a screwdriver. A search was made of the premises and a small amount of jewellery and cash was stolen, before the men left on foot, towards the direction of Pump Lane.

Forensic, witness and CCTV enquiries are ongoing.

The four men are all described as white. Fuller descriptions have been provided for two of the men, as follows:
1) White, around 40 years old, 5ft 8in tall, overweight, with a black balaclava and wearing black gloves, speaking with a non-English accent
2) White, mid 20s, at least 6ft tall, carrying a screwdriver, with a black balaclava and wearing black gloves, and also speaking with a non-English accent

Detective Inspector Mike Dalton said: "Thankfully, no injuries were caused to the victims but to have your home invaded in such a way was an understandably distressing ordeal to go through and we will be fully supporting them as our investigation continues.

"Did you see anyone acting suspiciously in the Well Lane area on Friday afternoon? Do you have home CCTV or were passing in a vehicle and have any dashcam? We will act on all information provided and are determined to identify those responsible and put them before the courts.

"Burglars are opportunists who have no understanding of the impact that their actions cause for the people of Merseyside. But we can all play a part in making our communities hostile places for burglars to operate in, and this is especially important if you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours, family and friends.

“You should always ensure that everyone you know and care for checks that their front doors, windows, garage and shed doors are shut and securely locked at all times, and advise them to use house alarms and light timer switches if you have them."

More crime prevention advice is available on our website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/

Anyone with information on this incident can contact @MerPolCC, call 101 with reference 19100083492, or you can contact @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.

We also have a dedicated hotline and email address on 0151 777 7926 or email operation.castle@merseyside.pnn.police.uk for any information on burglaries #OpCastle #BeatTheBurglar