A young woman, expecting her first child in 8 weeks times, does some housework and decides to let some air into her house while she works.. Therefore she leaves her back door open.

While she is working away, dusting, tidying and hoovering, a man enters her garden, then her house, with a knife and threatens her.

Fearing for her life, she pleads with him for over 10 minutes. He lunges at her and she puts out her hand in defence to deflect the blow of the knife as it heads towards her face, cutting her hand quite badly in the process.

He bundles her into a room, throws her to the ground and tells her to stay there.

After 10 mins she manages to crawl to the door to see if he has gone, which thankfully he has, so she calls the police and ambulance, who arrive within minutes.

She needs surgery, but they are reluctant to do it until the baby is born. In the meantime she has lost all feeling in her hand as the blade has cut through some nerve endings. They have stitched it for now, all they can do apparently.

All this for a mobile phone and £20.

She is lucky, it could have been worse, but it doesn't make the situation any better.

This took place within a mile from where I live.

Scary!