Warning after early morning break-in in Abbots Langley

A resident is calling on people to lock their front doors properly after someone attempted to break into his house. 

Terry Cushway, of Swallows Oak, was awaked by a man trying to gain access through the front door at 4:48am on Monday, December 10, but ran away when he couldn’t get past the chain lock.

Since the incident, Terry is now urging other residents to lock their front doors and invest in deterrents such as chains and security lights. 

He said: “Pull the door handle up and turn the key and make sure the locks are engaged. While our door was ‘locked’ he still managed to push the door latch back through the doorframe and get it open in under 10 seconds. Investing in a chain is also crucial as that appeared to be the only thing the deterred him in the end. Also if you have a security light I’d urge you to turn it on.”

Terry has a camera hidden in the doorbell which caught the man in the act.

He added: “He slammed it shut, possibly so he could delay us if we gave chase. My mother sleeps closer to the front door so she was woken up by him trying to loudly enter. She didn’t quite understand at first as she was half asleep. She then checked the camera recording immediately on her phone, saw him and called out to me. I was woken up by her and went downstairs to check but he had just left. 

“We called the police right away and they were at the house with a dog within a few minutes. The dog tracked him out to Langley Lane and lost his scent – the police think he may have parked a moped or car nearby so they can make a quick escape. A policeman later came to take a statement and the video was sent to them.”

A spokeswoman for Herts Police said: “Police are investigating an attempted burglary in Abbots Langley. At 4:48am on Monday, December 10, an offender attempted to gain access to a property in Swallows Oak, before making off in the direction of Langley Lane. 

“Anyone who saw what happened, or has information, should contact Hertfordshire Constabulary on the non-emergency number 101 quoting crime reference 41/64330/18.”