A man and a woman in Derry were subjected to a terrifying ordeal when a masked man armed with an axe broke into a house.
The incident happened around 1.45am on Friday when the man forced his way into the house in Caw Close in the Waterside area.
It is being investigated by police as an aggravated burglary.
Police said the masked man attempted to force his way into a bedroom but was prevented by a man inside the room who blocked the door.
They said a masked woman then entered the house but left with the masked man a short time later.
She is described as being approximately 5ft 2 in, with dark hair tied up, and she wore a navy hooded top and possibly dark-coloured jeans. The masked man is reported as being around 6ft, with dark hair, and he wore a dark-coloured hooded top and dark bottoms, and sunglasses.
Detective Sergeant Mark Gingell said it was a terrifying ordeal.
“The male occupant, along with a woman and male teen who were in the property at the time, have not reported any physical injuries, but this must have been a terrifying and frightening ordeal for them which will have left them shaken,” he said.
“We are working to establish the circumstances of this incident, and a motive for what happened.
“As our officers continue with their enquiries in the area, our appeal is to anyone who was in Caw Close and witnessed a man and woman acting suspiciously to get in touch with us.
“It’s believed at this time the male suspect fled in the direction of Nelson Drive, and the female suspect fled towards the country park.
“We’re appealing to anyone who saw two people acting suspiciously in these areas, or anything out of the ordinary, to call us.
“We’d also ask anyone who was traveling in the area with a dashcam to check their footage which may have captured the suspects.”
Police can be contacted on 101, quoting reference number 86 of 06/01/23.