CHEEKY thieves entered a house in Selwyn Street, Leigh, on Saturday morning and made off with a handbag containing cash, cheque cards and keys, while the occupier was upstairs getting dressed.

Joanne Rothwell, 22, had pegged washing out in the yard of the terraced house and left the back door open while she went upstairs with daughter Rebecca, aged two, to get dressed, leaving her youngest child Scott, 10 months downstairs in his cot.

Moments later after hearing Scott scream she dashed downstairs, but too late to catch the thief. She commented: "I didn't hear a thing and they must have been watching me. They took a chance coming in like that, and only for Scott screaming they could have got away with other items as well. As it was they took my handbag and purse containing about £50 in cash as well as my cheque cards and keys.

"I want other people in the area to be warned that these people are operating in the area, so it doesn't happen to anyone else."

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