A COUPLE were the victims of a terrifying armed raid at their home.

A 58-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were threatened with screwdrivers.

The robbers ripped a gold necklace from the woman’s throat and pushed the couple around their home in Ellesmere Road, Daubhill, causing injuries to their faces, necks and bodies.

After the attack, the thugs fled across a nearby field with jewellery and money that the Asian couple had been collecting for charity.

PC Joanne Atkins, of the Volume Crime Team, said: “The occupants are still recovering from being threatened and hurt in their own home and I want to hear from anyone with information about the incident or those responsible.”

Neighbours have spoken of their horror at the robbery, which happened at 7.30pm on December 28.

One, who asked not to be named, said: “It is scary.

There was another robbery up here 18 months ago.

“It seems to be getting bad, things keep happening.

The police seem to up here quite a lot for one thing or another.” Another neighbour, who also wanted to remain anonymous, added: “You just have to be really careful these days.

“I have lived here a long time but things have been happening recently.

“There seem to be young people hanging around at night and causing trouble.

It did not used to be like this.” Both of the intruders are described as Asian, 5ft 10in tall, of medium build, between 20 and 30 years old and dressed in dark clothing.

In May, 2011, three men, who were armed with an axe, a hammer and a baseball bat, burst into a house on the same street.

The couple were tied up and left in a bedroom, where they were later found in tears by a neighbour who was renovating the house next door.

The neighbour said the robbers threatened to kill the Asian couple, who were aged 85 and 77, if they did not hand over their jewellery and money.

Following the earlier raid, Rais Atcha, aged 20, of Burwell Close, Daubhill; Baber Khan, aged 25, of Willows Lane, Deane; Faheem Kola aged 19, of Mancroft Avenue, Daubhill, and Mohammed Khan aged 26, of Jasmine Court, Great Lever, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob between February and May, 2011, and were jailed.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Volume Crime Team on 0161 856 0958 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.