A couple foiled intruders armed with a metal bar attempting to get into their garage in Pitlochry.
Charissa Foster (38) and her husband Callum (30) heard an unexplained clatter and were sharp enough to quickly check their CCTV security.
The Pitlochry couple saw three figures attempting to get into their garage beside their property at Knockard, Pitlochry in the normally sleepy Highland Perthshire town.
Callum ran outside his home and the intruders fled.
Police came and discovered nothing had been taken but the camera footage from the night - December 21 - suggested the trio who wore tracksuits and came armed with a metal bar had spent around six minutes unsuccessfully attempting to get inside.
Charissa’s six-year old daughter was frightened by the commotion and begged to sleep in her parents’ bedroom.
“My poor daughter was so scared,” Charissa said. “She wanted to be in our bed afterwards. We were a bit shaken too.”
The mum said her younger son aged three had “thankfully been completely oblivious.”
Charissa told the PA: “We had storm damage the other week, so when we heard a strange crash, our first thought was it was our fence getting knocked down again.
“We asked each other, ‘Was that the wind?’ but it had been too loud.
“We rushed and checked the sleeping kids but they were fine.
“Just then I got a notification on my phone there were people outside. We watched the CCTV stream and could see some lads trying to lever up the garage door.
“I don’t know what they were after, if they were just chancing in the area or if it was just ours they tried, but they had something in mind given they had a tool to help them enter.
“It seems the metal rod got jammed and they went for another way in, trying our garage side door. It’s frustrating not knowing.
“It felt horrible, it being nearly Christmas. It is so unusual to have an attempted break-in here in Pitlochry.”
In the morning, Callum put the CCTV stills out on social media, warning other residents to beware.
He said: “At 9.36pm last night we had three young lads who tried for six minutes to break in to my garage.
“We then heard a loud noise and I ran outside to try and find them with no luck.
“Please check and make sure your houses and out buildings are secure.”
He noted one of the perpetrators wore tracksuits and one was wearing a distinctive Fox brand hoodie - popular among downhill mountain biking enthusiasts. Callum asked if anyone living near to his close in Knockard, Pitlochry had CCTV from around 9.30pm on Tuesday, December 21 to pass it on to him.
Police say they are investigating.
