A TERRIFIED mother climbed out of the toilet window of a remote farmhouse as masked raiders with shotguns held her family hostage.

And today police praised the bravery of the woman whose escape to raise the alarm foiled a robbery.

Dennis and Linda Linskey were about to go to bed when there was a knock at the door of their Rossendale farmhouse just before midnight on Saturday night.

Rossendale company director Mr Linskey opened the door to be confronted by a gang of up to five men. Mrs Linskey saw what was happening from behind curtains in the hallway and immediately locked herself in the downstairs toilet. She heard her husband shouting out her name and climbed out of a window to raise the alarm.

Detective Sergeant Steve Earnshaw said: "Her actions were very courageous. She could have stayed, especially as her children were in the house, but she bravely chose to raise the alarm and in doing so almost certainly stopped what could have been a very serious incident.

"Robbery has got to be the most obvious reason, but fortunately Mrs Linskey's actions meant the incident did not progress to that stage." Mrs Linskey ran from their home, Old Doals Farm, off Burnley Road in Weir, and tried in vain to raise the alarm at a neighbour's house.

She then tried unsuccessfully to flag down a passing motorist and finally got help from another neighbour. But in hammering on the door she broke the glass injuring her wrists.

An armed response unit and the police helicopter was called and they surrounded the house.

Mrs Linskey was found by police on Burnley Road and her husband and their two daughters, aged 11 and eight, were found in the house. The gang had escaped in Mr Linskey's car.

Detective Sergeant Earnshaw said: "Mr Linskey was manhandled into the house by a man with a shotgun. Two other members of the gang were also armed with another shotgun and a handgun. "When they realised his wife was not there they fled the house and left in his Vauxhall Omega which was found abandoned at Long Acres Drive, Whitworth.

"We are appealing for anyone who was in the Burnley Road area between 11.30pm and midnight to come forward and we would especially like to hear from the motorist who was flagged down by Mrs Linskey.

"We would also like to hear from anyone who is in the Long Acres Drive area who saw the car being abandoned."

Mrs Linskey was treated at Burnley General Hospital for her injuries. Detective Sergeant Earnshaw said the whole family was terrified and shocked by the incident.

Anyone with information can contact Rawtenstall police on 01706 215242.

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