Family forced into helping burglar

A woman and her three children have been forced to load their possessions into the family car and give a burglar a lift to a housing estate.

The 43-year-old woman and her children, one of them an eight-year-old, had to drive the burglar around before dropping him off.

A 34-year-old man was later arrested.

Police in Oldham, Greater Manchester, are still looking for a second man who fled the scene of the burglary in Cooper street in the Springhead area of the town.

'Extremely traumatised'

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Bottomley said: "This was a terrifying incident for the woman and her children, which has left all of them extremely traumatised.

"However, I would like to reassure the public that this kind of crime is very unusual and an arrest has been made."

The woman had been disturbed by a noise, and when she went to investigate she was confronted by two intruders.

A man threatened her with a knife and she was told to hand over cash and jewellery.

Boys threatened

Her 20-year-old daughter and two sons, aged 12 and eight, were also threatened and cash was taken from the 20-year-old's purse.

The thief also stole computer equipment and a mobile phone before telling the woman to drive him around Oldham.

This journey went on for between 20 and 30 minutes.

She was told to stop in the Derker area where the burglar climbed out of her car, before she drove to her mother's house and called the police.

Mr Bottomley added: "I would also appeal to the second man to come forward as there is no indication that he was involved in the threats.

"But it would be far better for him to approach us than for us to find him, which we will do."