Retired Blackburn teacher's home targeted by gang

Police officers were called to Dukes Brow in Blackburn at around 1am on Tuesday to reports of a group of men trying to force their way into a home on the street. Witnesses from the scene said some of the men had been carrying weapons at the time.

The man who lives in the house, a 73-year-old, spoke to the Lancashire Telegraph after the incident and said he had no idea why the men had come to his home in the middle of the night.

He said: “I can’t understand why they would target my house – I’ve lived here for 32 years and have had no issues with anyone.

“Around six or seven people were trying to break in.”

The man went on to say that luckily his neighbours came out having been roused by noise coming from the street, and the gang ran off.

He added that it was the second time his home had been targeted, after an attempted break-in back in March.

Pictures from the scene show an upstairs window of the property smashed and damage to the front door.

Four men have been arrested following the incident.

As a result of the incident there is a heightened police presence in and around the Duke’s Brow area of the town.

A police spokesman said: “We were called around 1am today (September 21) to reports of a group of men trying to force their way into an address in Dukes Brow, Blackburn, some possibly carrying weapons.

“They left the scene before officers arrived, but four men were later arrested at junction 4 of the M61 on suspicion of affray and criminal damage.

“They are: a 24-year-old man of no fixed address, a 27-year-old man from Halifax, a 37-year-old man from Halifax, and a 37-year-old man of no fixed address. They all remain in custody at this time."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting log 0045 of September 21, 2021.