A horrified Midlands family watched helplessly over the Internet as a burglar raided their home while they were on holiday in Burnham-On-Sea.
Donna Marusamy, from Sutton Coldfield, was on a weekend break to Burnham last week with her family when she received a mobile phone app notification.
It was from a Internet-enabled CCTV camera, as its sensors detected movement in their back garden at their home in Streetly at 10.15pm on Friday, August 4th.
Donna and her husband Nathan watched in shock as they saw an intruder in their home.
They alerted other members of their family and Police as they watched the hooded-man, who walked with a limp, wander through their living area and upstairs, stealing the family’s passport and sentimental jewellery.
The thief also took the spare key to a Mercedes car but left laptops and cash that he would have seen.
While the burglar was rifling through the family’s possessions, Donna’s brother-in-law arrived and spoke to two people near the property, asking if they had seen anyone running from the scene or anything strange.
The thief is believed to have hid while a light was shone in to the home and then fled before Walsall police arrived 10-15 minutes later.
Donna was so angered by the break-in that she posted footage from the webcam on Facebook, featured here.
It has already been shared more than 3,000 times and watched by thousands of people.
The 37-year-old told the Sutton Coldfield Observer newspaper: “We had a notification on our phone and saw somebody in our back garden shining a torch light.”
“He got in through our conservatory and removed the glass and put it to the side neatly.”
“Then stepped inside. I was horrified and scared, helpless. He walked past the CCTV camera. And I panicked and thought this is happening.”
“We called my brother-in-law who lives off Monmouth Drive and the police, who had to come from Bloxwich. My brother-in-law got there before the police.”
“He went on the driveway and shone a light through the house and the burglar then legged it. He went to a neighbour and said: ‘I can hear him in the house’.”
“He stole an Air-King Rolex, my husband’s Indian gold jewellery, Bulgari wedding ring and my husband’s dad’s wedding ring which is sentimental to the family.”
“He also took our passports. Seeing the person, I wish to God I hadn’t seen it unfold.”
“It’s a violation of your own privacy. They just walk in and do whatever they need to do within five minutes and the repercussions are massive.”
“You feel like you have your hands tied behind your back. My husband has been really, really angry.”
Donna is urging the community to pull together and said: “Cutbacks are affecting the safety of our communities. Police stations local to us are now part time or closing down.”
“I am eager to start a movement within communities to combat these crimes, there are not enough police resources.”
“If you saw or heard anything or have any information about the incident please call the Police non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference number: 20WS/165551Z/17. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
