Helpless holidaymakers watched on CCTV from 2,500 miles away as a gang of thieves raided their home. Mohammed Yousaf and his family were on the last night of a week-long break in Antalya, Turkey when burglars breaking into their Rochdale home triggered CCTV and Ring doorbell cameras linked to their mobile phones.
The family then watched in horror as the four masked men stole two cars parked on the drive and made off with around £60,000 in jewellery and cash. "We could see everything happening in front of us, but we couldn't do anything about it," Mr Yousaf, 55, said.
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"My wife was shaking, saying 'What can we do?', my daughter was crying and my son was just holding his head in his hands. We watched them come out of the house and steal two cars. We were petrified."
Mr Yousaf, a well-known businessman who owns Auto Shop in the Deeplish area of Rochdale, phoned a neighbour who immediately called police and ran across to the house. But, by that time, the gang had made their escape.
When the family-of-eight returned from holiday the next day, they found their home, in Castleton, had been ransacked. Mr Yousaf says around 40 pieces of gold jewellery worth around £40,000 were stolen after the men broke in by climbing onto the car port roof before forcing entry through an upstairs window.
He says many of the stolen items are heirlooms passed down from his parents and in-laws, while others have sentimental value, having been given as wedding gifts. Watches and around £3,000 in cash were also taken.
Mr Yousaf says the burglars checked which items of gold were genuine by bending each piece, before leaving behind the costume jewellery.
After putting an appeal on his business Facebook page Mr Yousaf says he was contacted by an anonymous man who offered to show him where the cars - a Mercedes CLK and an Audi S3 - were being kept in exchange for £100. Family members later met the man and recovered the cars from a street in Littleborough, using spare keys.
Mr Yousaf added: "My parents passed away 20 years ago and my mother gave her jewellery to my wife. Even if we get the money back the jewellery can't be replaced.
"I never thought something like this would happen to me. I don't think it's hit me properly yet, but I know it will. Anytime we hear a noise outside we're checking the cameras. It's made us so sensitive to this kind of thing.
"I'm a hard-working businessman - I work seven days a week. How can they get away with it?"
The break-in took place at around 6.30pm on Wednesday, November 30. Greater Manchester Police has been approached for comment.
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