Woman used Facebook to call for help after robbery

A woman used Facebook to alert a friend she had been locked in her bedroom during a robbery at the 28-year-old woman's home on Manchester Road, Rochdale.

On 26 October 2012 between 8pm and 9pm masked thieves forced open the patio doors at the back of the house with a weapon of some sort and confronted the homeowner on the stairs. She fled into her bedroom and locked herself in, only for the offenders to break the door down and demand cash.

She was then forced into another bedroom and forcibly detained by one of the thieves while his accomplices ransacked the house. While being restrained, she was also punched and told she would be killed if she did not hand over either money or jewellery.

After about 15 minutes, she was then locked in the bedroom while the offenders fled.

Because her phone had been taken off her, she used a laptop to send a message to a friend on Facebook that she had been robbed and was trapped, and her friend in turn alerted police.

The victim was taken to hospital to be treated for a suspected fractured to her left leg.

Police Constable David Harrison, of the Volume Crime Team at Rochdale, said: "In the face of such adversity, this woman showed incredible ingenuity to use a social networking site to contact a friend, who in turn called police.

"Having been confronted with such violence and no doubt feeling extremely scared, this woman had the presence of mind to use Facebook to let her friend know of her ordeal and she should be applauded for such bravery.

"I would appeal to anyone living in this community to help us find the culprits of this cowardly and violent crime and give this young woman the justice her brave actions deserve.

"If anyone has any information about what happened, then I would urge them to come forward."

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.