Walmer family tied up, home-made cake among stolen items

A Walmer family was tied up and held at knifepoint by men armed with knives and screwdrivers during a late night robbery on Wednesday.

The house, situated between 6th and 7th Avenues in Fordyce Road, Walmer, also doubles as a home-run catering service.

In addition to stealing the family car and television sets, the robbers also made off with a home-made cake.

According to police, a 67-year-old woman and her 71-year-old husband were taken hostage inside the house at about 11:45pm on Wednesday.

The woman’s 87-year-old mother lives with the couple.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the attack happened shortly after the 71-year-old man left the house to drop off staff who work at their home based business.

“It remains unknown at this stage as to how they gained entry to the house, however we suspect that they entered through an unlocked door.

“When the man left to drop off the staff shortly before midnight, the three men entered the home and accosted the 87-year-old woman first.

“She was forced into the bathroom and her hands bound with cable ties.

“The men then located her daughter inside the house and demanded she open the safe.

“She complied and a small amount of money was taken,” she said.

“The woman was then also tied up and forced into the bathroom with her mother.”

Minutes later the man arrived home from dropping off staff.

“He walked into the lounge area when he was then also confronted.

“He was tied up and left in the lounge while the suspects loaded two television sets and other items into the couple’s Opel Sapphire. The men fled with the couple’s car.”

Naidu said the 87-year-old complained about the cable ties being too tight around her wrists.

“The suspects cut her free and then tied her hands together with socks,” she said.

By Thursday morning, the stolen Sapphire had still not been recovered.

Naidu said none of the three sustained serious injuries.

“They were in shock from the attack and sustained minor injuries from being accosted and tied up,” she added.

A case of house robbery is being investigated.