Mum’s despair as thieves take Christmas gifts
CALLOUS BURGLARS STEAL CHILDREN’S PRESENTS
A FAMILY home was ransacked with sentimental jewellery and £500 worth of Christmas presents taken.
Heartless thieves ransacked the home, on Alston Gardens in Burnage in the early hours.
The crooks forced entry via the back door before turning the property upside down.
Single mum Rachel Horrocks said the presents, including 37 boxes of Lego, My Little Pony toy sets, and Frozen jewellery and hair boxes, had all been taken from under a bed and in wardrobes.
“I had been buying Christmas presents since June and I had wrapped them up so my children wouldn’t be able to find them,” Rachel said.
“Whoever did this has actually unwrapped the presents before throwing the wrapping paper all over the floor and bed.”
Rachel, who has two children aged four and seven, said not only will the robbery have a huge impact on her family’s Christmas, but it will also have a devastating impact on seven-year-old son Harry. “He has autism so the knock-on effects are far worse than anyone can imagine,” she explained.
“It’s thrown everything off for him. He’s very strict on his routine, everything has to happen at the right time and be in a set place.
“He won’t return home because someone has been in his room, someone has touched all his things and moved them around.”
Rachel said that not only were presents stolen, but treasured jewellery was also taken.
“My grandma died two years ago and all of my jewellery was what she gave me in her will.
“It’s all sentimental to me and can’t be replaced – it’s the things that she specifically left me.”
The jewellery includes five pairs of silver earrings, a 9ct gold bracelet with amber stones, a silver necklace with a butterfly and a pendant that has a message about being a sister.
Rachel, a school catering assistant, said the house was empty as she had an early start for work.
“It was the only night where no one was in and there wasn’t a light on, so it makes me think it’s someone who knows me or has been watching us.”
Rachel said they had only moved into the property 12 weeks ago.
“I’m a single parent with two kids and I work full-time. I work hard to get the stuff they want.
“Because of his autism, we get Harry so much Lego because he likes to build and do stuff with his hands.”
Rachel says the biggest concern for her is getting Harry to readjust to change, particularly making him feel safe at home.
“It’s going to be so hard to get my son back into the house and get him comfortable.”
She said she doesn’t mind how the items are returned, but really hopes to get them back in order to help rebuild routine into Harry’s life.
“Drop it off at the end of the road so I can still try to salvage things and make things more normal, at least over Christmas,” she pleaded.
Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident number 379 of 15/11/19. Reports can also be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Rachel Horrocks