A WOMAN was held by her neck and punched repeatedly in front of a 14-year-old boy as crowbar wielding burglars raided a house.

The masked thugs broke into the property on Chapel Green Road, Hindley on Sunday afternoon.

Two of the men shouted at the woman, demanding the location of a safe.

Police say one of the attackers held her by the neck whilst punching her numerous times to the face, whilst the second man located the safe. 

The third man hit the boy with a stool before pushing him to the ground and stealing his phone from out of his hand. 

The attackers grabbed the woman’s phone from out of her hand before making off into the garden with the mobile phones, an I-pad, a quantity of jewellery and cash.

The woman made her way out of the house where she saw the offenders in the shed before they made off onto Chapel Green Road in the direction of Argyle Street.

She was then hit again on the head with a tool box they had stolen from the shed as they ran past her.

The woman was treated by paramedics at the scene but did not require hospital treatment. 

Detective Constable Sean Goddard, of GMP’s Wigan division, said: “These victims were subjected to a terrifying ordeal in their own home which has left them feeling unsafe and scared.

“The criminality and level of violence shown by the offenders is despicable and we are doing everything we can to find those responsible. 

“If you were in the area at the time and saw three men matching the above description or have any dash cam footage that could help police to complete their enquiries, please get in touch as soon as possible.

"Even the smallest piece of information could prove vital in helping police to complete their investigation.”

The first burglar is described as having dark hair and brown eyes, the second is described as having ginger hair and the third is described as a mixed-race man who was wearing grey shorts and Nike Air Max trainers. All three offenders were wearing face coverings. 

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing, say police.

The break-in happened at about 3.20pm on Sunday, July 26, 2020.

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 7770 quoting incident number 2110 of 26/07/20.

Reports can also be made anonymously to the independent Charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.