Couple appeal for information after house ransacked and family jewellery worth thousands stolen
Emma Wilkinson reports
A couple felt afraid and vulnerable in their own home after two men ransacked their house and stole precious jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds.
The thieves were caught on CCTV breaking into Charon and Kevin Mills' home in Auckley late on the 18 August.
Shortly after 11pm, camera footage captured two hooded men, with a ladder in tow, arriving at the home they've lived in for nearly 40 years.
They had ripped out the alarm system and smashed through the door.
They didn't leave a drawer unopened in their search for things to steal, leaving with a collection of family jewellery, including Charon's mum's wedding ring.
Her mum had lived with them four years ago until her death.
Charon said, "Some of the things she left, they had been in that and that's what I can't cope with. I just thank God that nobody was hurt.
"I get insecure, these people know who you are, but you don't know who they are and it's not a nice feeling.
After leaving the house, the perpetrators returned just an hour later - at around 1:15am - to take two vehicles. One of the vehicles, a work van, was later found abandoned and recovered by police.
The couple were on holiday at the time and are grateful to Charon's brother for clearing up before they arrived home, sparing them having to see the full state of the house.
Kevin said, "We've worked hard for what we've got, and these people think they've got the sole right to break into people's homes and take what isn't theirs.
"Charon won't even look at the photos, if she saw them then I think she'd want to move straight away. She couldn't bear to see her home like it was. It's heartbreaking for me to see her like she is.
Kevin is now appealing for anyone with information to help trace the suspects.
"The way they walked off is like they walked out of the pub, not a care in the world, and they'll continue doing it until people get caught. They need to get these lot."
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show from the year to March 2024 the residential burglary rate in England was 7.5 per 1000 households.
In Yorkshire and the Humber the rate was 10.6, but in South Yorkshire, it's almost double the England average, at 14.3 per 1000.
In a statement South Yorkshire Police said a special burglary team is working to identify those responsible for breaking into the Mills' home, and continues to work through a number of lines of enquiry.
The force added:
"We understand that being a victim of burglary is a traumatic experience for anyone and can have a long-lasting emotional impact.
"We are committed to ensuring that those responsible for burglary are held responsible for their actions.
"In Doncaster, Operation Castle was launched to provide a dedicated and detective-led response to incidents of burglary in people's homes in the city. It has resulted in Doncaster recording its lowest number of burglaries in the past five years."
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