Young mother in Medomsley armed raid terror

Dec 20 2008 by Neil McKay, The Journal

A YOUNG mother was last night recovering from what police described as a terrifying ordeal at the hands of two masked robbers while at home with her two-year-old daughter.

The men, one armed with a hand gun, burst into her home in North Magdalene, Medomsley, near Consett, County Durham, at around 7pm on Thursday.

The unnamed woman, 28, was alone with her daughter, who was asleep.

The woman was forced upstairs at gunpoint and made to hand over several hundred pounds.

The men, who were dressed in dark clothing and spoke with local accents, then left the end-terraced house and she managed to raise the alarm.

Det Sgt Graeme Chisholm said that the robbers may have been keeping watch on the house as they prepared to carry out the attack.

He said: “This was a horrifying and cowardly attack on a defenceless young woman who was left traumatised by her ordeal. Thankfully neither she nor the child was hurt and the firearm was not discharged.”

He added that the incident happened shortly after the woman’s husband had left the house on an errand.

“It may well have been that these men had been keeping a watch on the house. This is a fairly busy estate and people will have been out and about.

“We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area between 6.30pm and 7.30pm and may have seen people hanging about on the street or sat in a car.”

Within minutes of the alarm being raised, a full-scale search of the area and house-to-house inquiries by police officers was under way.

Search dogs and the police helicopter were also called in to help but no trace of the raiders was found.

Medomsley is an attractive and popular commuter village 10 miles from Newcastle.

Neighbours were shocked as news of the victim’s ordeal spread yesterday.

Police said the woman remained traumatised and extremely shocked after her ordeal.

Detectives were trying to establish why she and her house had been targeted by the raiders.

Anyone with information should ring (0345) 606-0365 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on (0800) 555111.