BURGLARS ransacked the home of a single mother-of-four while she raced to hospital after her father suffered a suspected heart attack.

Tracey Greenall returned home after visiting father Garry, who also suffers from cancer, to find her home had been turned over by the raiders, who stole everything from a TV to toilet rolls.

The burglars also left a trail of destruction, leaving clothes and food scattered around and cupboards and drawers overturned. Garry Greenall, 65, who suffers from bladder cancer and heart problems was taken to hospital after suffering chest pains.

When Tracey, 28, of Cleveleys Road, near Roman Road Blackburn, received a call to say he was ill she immediately left her home to go to Queen's Park Hospital.

She was joined by her mother Patricia, of nearby Lindisfarne Avenue, and her four young children.

Miss Greenall stayed the night at her mother's home but after dropping the children off at school the next morning, she opened her front door to find the house ransacked and all the electrical equipment stolen.

Among the stolen property was the PlayStation belonging to children, William, four, Carlie, seven, Josh, nine, and Gary, 11. She said: "I walked in and there were clothes everywhere.

"I tidied it all up before school finished, so the kids wouldn't see it."

The burglars took the family's microwave, TV, PlayStation and games, and even tins of food and cleaning products.

Tracey added: "They broke the kitchen window then climbed in and took my spare set of keys to open the door. So it's someone who knows what I do.

"My dad has high blood pressure and had an operation. But now his health is just getting worse and worse."

Her mother Patricia said: "It's terrible what they have done. They gutted the house completely. Why should she have to live like this and put up with things like this?"

Inspector Judith Finney, of Blackburn police, said: "While all burglaries are particularly distressing, it is obviously multiplied for this family because of the circumstances." We are investigating the incident and inquiries are ongoing."

But Tracey is determined not to let the raiders get the better of her.

She said: "It's not the first time I've been broken into. I've had to pick up the pieces and start again before."

Mr Greenall is said to be comfortable in hospital.

He is currently undergoing tests to see what caused the chest pains and is now on a course of steroids.