Elderly man hit with crowbar during burglary in Littleborough

Distinctive Land Rover stolen during burglary in Littleborough

Two men burst into a cluster of houses on land off Todmorden Road shortly after 2.05pm on Wednesday (23 November 2016).

A man in his 70s was threatened and hit with a crowbar during an aggravated burglary in Littleborough.

In another property, a woman in her 50s, was threatened with a screwdriver before the men demanded cash.

Both victims were checked over by ambulance crews at the scene and did not require hospital treatment.

The offenders – who are described as white men wearing balaclavas or black woollen hats – stole a quantity of cash as well as three licensed firearms including two .22 riffles and one shotgun.

They then used a silver Land Rover Defender as the getaway car and drove off in the direction of Littleborough.

Detective Inspector Adrian Gallagher, from GMP’s Rochdale Borough, said: “The car is very distinctive with a black roof, black bonnet and large, black, chunky tyres and I’m certain someone would have seen it in the area around the time of the incident.

“We believe the car was being driven erratically and I would urge anyone who did see it or has dash-cam footage of it to please contact us.

“This burglary was terrifying for the homeowners and I’m grateful no one was seriously injured. Thankfully incidents of this nature are very rare.”

“I would like to assure the public that we are doing everything we can to find the men responsible and are currently following a number of lines of enquiry.

“If you think you might have any information about this incident then please call police or Crimestoppers anonymously.”

Information can be passed on by calling GMP on 101 quoting incident number 1390 of 23 November 2016 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.