Masked men armed with pitchfork burgle older couple’s home in Co Armagh
Police are investigating the burglaries (PA)
An older couple have been left shaken after masked men armed with a pitchfork and other weapons burgled their home in Co Armagh.
Officers are investigating the aggravated burglary in the Monroe Avenue area of Lurgan that happened shortly before 6am on Sunday.
A PSNI spokesman said: “It was reported that a number of masked men armed with weapons including a pitchfork, had entered a house in the area demanding money.
“They rummaged through the house, taking a purse, before making off in a white car.
“The occupants, an older couple, have not reported any physical injuries, but this was a terrifying and frightening ordeal for them which will have left them shaken.”
Detectives appealed for anyone in the area with CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.
The incident was the second aggravated burglary reported in Lurgan at the weekend.
At 8.30pm on Saturday, three masked men armed with hammers and screwdrivers entered the back door of a house in the Toberhewny Park area of the town.
The PSNI spokesman said: “The men assaulted the male occupant and dragged him to a room in the house. Two of the men then searched through the property before all three men left with a sum of cash.
“While there were no reports of any injuries, this must have been a frightening ordeal for the man and woman in the property at the time.”
It is understood that police are not linking the two burglaries at this stage in their investigations.
Officers also appealed for anyone with information about the Toberhewny Park incident to come forward.
Meanwhile, police investigating a report of a robbery at licensed premises on the Killycomain Road in Portadown on Saturday evening have charged a 19-year-old man with robbery.
He is due to appear at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday February 3.
