A BURGLAR broke into a house before stealing a new £30,000 car from outside while the owner slept upstairs.

The incident happened after John Whitmore’s partner had left to go to work on Thursday morning.

After he got up, Mr Whitmore realised his keys were missing and then saw that the SEAT Ateca he had bought just a month before was gone.

His partner had left to go to work at around 5.45am and Mr Whitmore had stayed in bed for another 45 minutes. 

During that time he heard someone in the house and called out, believing it to be his partner but got no response and went back to sleep.

When he went out into the landing he saw a bag and a computer tablet on the floor but thought his partner might just have been trying to get something in a rush and had left them there.

When Mr Whitmore went into the second bedroom he noticed a few ring boxes on the floor and that drawers were open.

He rang his partner who told him the house, in Chapel Street, Horwich, had been tidy when she left.

Mr Whitmore called 999 and started talking to a police officer as he went through the house to see what had been taken.

When he inspected the lounge he saw items scattered on the floor and boxes open and noticed the key rack was missing before running outside to see his car was gone.

He had only got the car the month before. Designer sunglasses and jewellery was also taken.

The 36-year-old IT manager said: “I spent months choosing the car, it is really nice. It is worth £30,000, and is on lease. I feel a bit uncomfortable knowing that someone had been out in the landing while I was in bed.”

Mr Whitmore said as far as he was aware the house was secured.