Elderly couple fight off knife-wielding burglar who broke into their home

Police praise ‘remarkable bravery’ of couple in their 80s

A couple in their 80s have fought off a knife-wielding burglar who had broken into their home, police have said.

The man and woman were in their house in Withington, Manchester, when there was a knock on the door at 10pm on Friday.

When they went to answer the knock the man on the doorstep allegedly brandished an eight-inch kitchen knife.

He proceeded to demand money from the couple and forced himself into the couple’s property, it is claimed.

The couple were able to fight the burglar off and push him back outside before locking the door.

Detective Constable Luke Raine of Greater Manchester Police's City of Manchester Division said: “This was a terrifying burglary targeting two elderly members of our community.

“Through their remarkable bravery, they have managed to fight off the assailant and he fled empty handed.

“We would urge anyone with information on this to contact police immediately. Perhaps you saw someone matching the description of the offender in the vicinity at the time?

“Even the smallest detail can lead to new lines of enquiry that may help us identify the offender.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 6012 quoting incident number 2377 of 05/10/18 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.