The thieves had used a slab on concrete to break into the office, before grabbing the cash that had been kept in there to pay for building work.
Thieves broke into the office of a Hornchurch family and stole £8,000 in cash before threatening chop off the head of their 21-year-old son.
The two men smashed through the window of the office in the Nash family’s back garden in Grenfell Avenue in the early hours of yesterday (Tuesday, September 11) morning.
Gill Nash, 39, was in bed with her husband, Paul, when their burglar alarms alerted them to the intruders.
She said that her 21-year-old son was asleep in his room, and the pair of them were the first downstairs and confronted the burglars - one of which was wearing a black mask.
She said that one of the men had a spade and threatened to chop off her son’s head if he tried anything.
The thieves had used a slab of concrete to break into the office, before grabbing the cash that had been kept in there to pay for building work.
In November 2016 there had been a fire at their house forcing the family to move out for 18 months while work was carried out.
They moved back into the house only six months ago, and the cash was in the out-house - used as an office - because the final stage of building work was being carried out, and the money was going to be used for that.
Gill Nash said: “We never keep money in there, and we definitely won’t be anymore.
“We won’t get the money back but we want to find out who these men are.
“I mean we’re all young in this house but if it had been an elderly couple that they targeted they wouldn’t have been able to do anything. “Havering has been plagued with robberies and burglaries.
“They need to be caught and they need to be punished.”
Her husband Paul said that you just don’t ever expect anything like this to happen to you.
“I work for a security company and I fit burglar alarms all the time, so the last thing you expect is this to happen to you.
“Police came within three minutes, and four officers and dogs chased the men down the street but they didn’t catch them.”
A spokeswoman from the Met Police said that police were called at 4.10am on on Tuesday (September 11) to reports of a break-in in progress in Grenfell Avenue, Hornchurch.
They added: “Entry was gained to an outbuilding by two suspects who smashed glass doors and a stole a quantity of cash.
“They were confronted by an occupant and made off through the rear of the garden.
“Officers with dogs attended but despite a search were unable to find the suspects.
“Enquiries continue.”
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