Burgled couple warn others of crime risks in the heat wave

Teresa and Bob McCue have been left feeling trapped in their own home after offenders reached in through a small window that had not been secured completely, and forced open a larger window at the front of the property while they were sleeping on the early hours of July 7.
The burglars stole their Mazda 626 after finding the keys, which were not in plain sight from the window, along with the keys to their daughter’s Ford KA, which they did not steal.
“It’s totally messed me up and I’m afraid to go outside now, I just can’t go outside for fear that they might still be around,” Mrs McCue said.
“I had a massive panic attack after it happened. My husband was in tears. We’d have been married a year on Sunday and this has totally put a dampner on it.”
“Its really messed our lives up and I am jumping at everything. I just feel so bad that we can’t do anything and I’m crying all of the time.”
The trauma of the event has been made much worse for the couple since Mr McCue has a number of medical conditions, including arthritis and bronchitis, which make life difficult for him without the use of a car.
“He can’t go anywhere without a car. Now we don’t have a car we’re stuck in doors. I can’t even go and pick up my son from school. My Mum has to come from Thatcham to pick him up.” Mrs McCue said.
“My Dad has Parkinson's [disease] and if he needs help, we are stuck, because we can’t go to help if he has a fall.”
The offenders also made off with a collection of CDs and a bottle of port but seemed disinterested in other CDs and a bottle of brandy.
“I’d like to get my hands on them,” Mrs McCue said. “I just can’t understand why someone would make another person suffer like this.”
With the Met Office predicting that the British heatwave will continue until the beginning of August, with temperatures expected to reach the low 30s, the McCues are urging people to make sure that their homes are secure overnight and when they are out.
“It’s hot, and people leave their windows open, and I don’t want anyone to go through the hell that we’ve been through. Double check your windows and locks,” Mrs McCue said.
“We have been taught the hard way but we want other people to learn from what we have been through.”
Thames Valley Police says that the most common causes of summer burglary involve offenders gaining entry through an insecure front door while residents are in their back gardens, doors that are unlocked at night, or taking valuables by reaching through windows.
The force recommends that residents ensure that their doors and windows are locked, whether you are in the garden or out, and not to leave small windows open in the belief that your home will be safe.