POLICE have today launched a hunt for a gang of burglars who smashed their way into a house and punched a man.

Naomi Cassidy

POLICE have today launched a hunt for a gang of burglars who smashed their way into a house and punched a man.

Houseowner Malcolm Dalgleish and his stepson Darren Hornsby have been left terrified by the incident in which Mr Hornsby's friend was attacked.

The gang, who jumped a fence to get to the Willowcroft Road property in Ipswich then made off with a laptop and two mobile phones.

It came a day after another disturbing incident in the same area of town when a householder woke in the early hours of the morning after he heard glass smashing, to find a man with a flashlight in his bedroom.

In the Willlowcroft Road incident 21-year-old Mr Hornsby was in the conservatory having a drink and playing cards with his friend Glen Green at about 12.50am on May 2 when they spotted five men climb over the back fence and run towards the house.

The gang picked up a brick from the garden and hurled it through the glass door, prompting Mr Hornsby to run upstairs and wake his stepfather.

Meanwhile the ruthless robbers barged Mr Green out the way and punched him to the ground, and quickly made off with the goods.

Mr Dalgleish, 56, said: “He was petrified. It is not very nice thing to happen. My 13-year-old daughter was in the house at the time but luckily she did not wake up.

“I can't understand why they would break in like that. It is a fairly quiet area usually.”

And just the day before in Macaulay Road Shahamdeen Rashid, 31, was lying in bed when he heard a bang downstairs at about 2.20am on Friday.

He got up to have a look around but then went back to bed. Five minutes later he heard some glass being smashed and footsteps coming up the stairs.

Mr Rashid, originally from Ghana, said: “I heard footsteps and then a person opened the door. He had a flashlight. I was very afraid and shouted 'who are you, what do you want'. He quickly went away. I think he must have thought the flat was empty.”

Nothing was taken and the would-be burglar ran off in the direction of Coleridge Road. He is described as 5ft 7ins, with a slim build and was wearing a black beanie hat and a black jacket with a striped design around the shoulder.

A Suffolk Police spokeswoman said: “These were two frightening incidents for the victims. Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them without delay to assist their investigation.”

- Do you live in the area and are worried about these crimes? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.

In profile: other crimes

There was also a spate of criminal damage incidents around the same area, known as the Crofts, on Sunday, May 3, within 15 minutes of each other. Police have not ruled out that the attack in Willowcroft Road is linked to these four incidents, given the timing and location.

At around 10.30pm a rear windscreen and rear offside window of a green Daewoo in Elmcroft Road was smashed, together with the rear offside window of a silver Vauxhall car. A group of youths on bicycles and wearing hooded tops were seen in the area.

Then five minutes later two glass panes of a bus stop were smashed in Congreve Road. This was shortly followed by thugs smashing a nearside front window of a red Ford Transit van and a nearside front window of a light blue Toyota in Cedarcroft Road.

Between six and eight youths with hooded tops were seen on bicycles in the area around the time.

The attackers in the Willowcroft Road incident are described as male, and one of the suspects is white, 18 to 25 years old, approximately six feet with a broad build. He was wearing a black hooded top.

- If you have any information about the Macaulay Road incident call Dc Lilian Ives at the Ipswich CID. Those who can help police with their enquiries about the Willowcroft Road incident is asked to call Pc Mireille Bailey at Ipswich Police Station.

Also anyone with information regarding the spate of criminal damage around the Crofts should call Pc Andrew Overton at the Ipswich Neighbourhood Response Team. The above police officers can be reached on the number for Ipswich Police Station, which is 01473 613500. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.