An Ipswich burglary victim has told how she was startled by a burglar opening her bedroom door as dozing off in the middle of the night.

Veronica Loughlin, 68, and her husband Chris, 52, of St John’s Road, had only gone to bed around 50 minutes earlier.

Mrs Loughlin said: “We had gone to bed about 11ish. At about 11.50pm somebody opened our bedroom door.

“My husband was asleep. I was not quite asleep. I awoke and saw a figure in the doorway. It was a bit scary.

“You open your mouth, but you are not really sure anything is going to come out.

“I think I shouted something like ‘there’s somebody there.

“My husband immediately woke up and jumped out of bed.

“Whoever it was ran down the landing and down the stairs.

“My husband looked out of the window and saw somebody running out of the garden and up St John’s Road.

“We were very scared at the time.

“I couldn’t quite believe what was happening. I came downstairs and the front door was closed.”

Mrs Loughlin went through to the kitchen to find a pain of glass had been smashed in the back door.

A key had been left in the lock which had enabled the burglar to enter the property.

The intruder used an small axe he had found in the couple’s conservatory to break the pain of glass.

Mr Loughlin, a self employed gardener and handyman, had left the chopper in the conservatory as he had been building a shed.

However, the burglar put the axe down before entering the house.

Mrs Loughlin said: “There was glass everywhere.”

She said the man had managed to get into the wooden framed conservatory by pulling both the doors so hard they came apart.

The incident initially unsettled the couple, who have lived in the house for more than 20 years, but they quickly returned to normal.

Mrs Loughlin said: “The first night it was very difficult to sleep because you are listening to all the creaky things in the house, but you have to move on otherwise you get trapped in fear.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to the break-in which occurred on October 26, or anyone who saw anything suspicious.

If you can help telephone Ipswich CID on 101 quoting reference 62902/16, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Officers are also urging residents to make sure they keep all doors and windows secured at night, and that any tools and equipment that could help a burglar break-in should be locked away and out of sight.