A Dunfermline mum says she has been left terrified after a gang of masked men tried to force their way in to her house.
Michelle Sinclair was staying with her daughter at a friend’s home when three men attempted to prise open her door on Loch Street in Townhill.
The incident was caught on Michelle’s Ring doorbell, with footage (above) showing the trio brazenly approach the house shortly after 8pm on Wednesday, before leaving and returning with tools.
At one point, one of the the men even appears to shake his bum at the recording device.
The would-be housebreakers were unsuccessful, and it was only when Michelle returned home the next day that she noticed a problem when she tried to open her door.
She told The Courier: “I came back around 12 the next afternoon and went to unlock the door and it wouldn’t open. It was jammed shut.
“I phoned my landlord, so he was making his way down, and I tried again a few times and noticed there were a couple of marks.
“I sat in my car and checked the doorbell footage just in case.”
‘They seemed determined to get in’
The doorbell camera caught the three men walking past Michelle’s door at 8.13pm when they appeared to be “having a nosey” and the trio soon jumped in to her garden.
They then disappeared but emerged again, before hiding in Michelle’s garden as a man walked past with his dog.
The group were then seen trying to force the door open.
Michelle said: “They seem really determined to get in. I don’t know why – I am a single mother to a three-year-old, there’s nothing much of value in here.”
The police arrived a short time later and searched the property, with Michelle able to confirm the men had not gained access.
She said: “It was a relief but it doesn’t take away the sickening feeling of what could have happened.
“I am usually putting my daughter to bed at that time, so the lights are usually out.
‘You don’t know what their intentions were’
“Sometimes I fall asleep, what if I’d woken up and they were creeping about?
“I’ve not been wanting to go to sleep. I know they’d be stupid to come back, but you never know. You don’t know what their intentions were.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers in Dunfermline received a report of an attempted break-in at a property on Loch Street, which is believed to have taken place around 8pm on Wednesday.
“Inquiries in to the matter are ongoing and anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident 1327 of December 8.
“Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”
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