The thought of a stranger creeping around your home in the early hours of the morning is unsettling to say the least.
But that nightmare became a reality for Wigan couple Natasha Broad and Ian Grainger, who had their Tyldesley home broken into on January 21. The pair, both aged 40, were asleep when they woke to the sound of their dogs barking at around 3.30am.
Finance manager Natasha shouted at the animals to be quiet but Bill the Staffordshire Bull Terrier continued to bark. The couple then heard their front door close, prompting them to leap out of bed.
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“We ran downstairs and saw things had been moved around the dining room,” Natasha told the Manchester Evening News. “The main light was on in the front room and our Xbox was on the sofa with the wires still attached to it.”
Natasha and chef partner Ian say they always check their front and back doors are locked before going to sleep.
However, they forgot to make sure their front door was secure before heading to bed on January 21 – meaning a chancer was able to open it and welcome themselves inside.
Luckily, thanks to Roley the 15-year-old border collie and Staffordshire Bull Terrier brothers Bill and Ted, the intruder left empty-handed. Natasha has since referred to Bill as her “hero” - making sure to spoil him even more than usual recently.
“Obviously the thought of someone being in our home and going through our belongings is upsetting,” she continued. “We are so grateful for Bill’s persistence. It meant our hard-earned belongings stayed safe.
“I have a hybrid work pattern, meaning I have a home office set up. Thanks to Bill, he scared the burglar before they had a chance to look around further!
“I posted [about the incident] on our local community Facebook page to warn others and remind everyone how important it is to check doors are locked at night and how easy it is to forget.
“I have learnt from this and even if not used, both doors will be checked every night going forward.”
Natasha says the pair were so shaken by the incident they were unable to get themselves back to sleep. She now feels “anxious” following the break-in and “obsessively” makes sure her doors are locked while at home – even checking to see if anyone is watching her whenever she leaves her property.
“I'm anxious and now obsessed with checking my doors are locked,” she added. “I found myself checking if anyone is watching me go out, but I'll get back to normal soon I hope.”
Because nothing was taken, Natasha never reported the incident to the police. “The support and praise received for Bill on the post from hundreds of locals was overwhelming,” she added. “Needless to say, Bill had been more spoilt than usual.”
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