A BURNLEY man was tied up and burgled in his own home yesterday, police said.

Three men, one armed with a metal baseball bat, entered the house in Arkright Street at around 2.45pm.

The victim, 25, who was sat in the lounge, was tied up with phone cable and threatened while the men demanded money.

The raiders then ransacked the house before escaping with cash, keys, phones, jewellery and an iPad.

The victim managed to alert a neighbour who has untied him and contacted police.

At least two of the men are described as being Asian.

The first man, who was armed with the baseball bat, is described as being a slim build and around 6ft tall with dark brown eyes. He was wearing a navy blue cotton tracksuit with a motif on the thigh and had his face covered with a dark coloured bandana and baseball cap.

The second man is said to have spoken with a strong Asian accent and was trying to cover his face.

The third man, whose ethnicity is unknown, was wearing a dark brown faded hooded leather jacket with pockets on the chest, his hood up, a dark baseball cap and grey gloves.

Det Sgt Phil Pilkington, from Burnley CID, said: “This is a serious offence which has happened in broad daylight and has understandably left the victim occupant extremely shaken. Fortunately the victim was not assaulted but he did suffer minor wrist injuries.

“It would appear to be a case of mistaken identity and we believe these men have targeted the wrong house looking for large sums of cash.

“The men approached the premises from Padiham Road area and I would appeal to anybody that saw them enter the house or in the area around the time of the offence to contact myself or DC Anna Chadwick at Burnley Police on 101.

“This attack is an unusual occurrence and I would reassure residents that an investigation is underway. However, I would urge people to be mindful of thefts, especially at this time of year and to ensure doors and windows are locked, even when you’re at home."

People with information can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or on-line at Crimestoppers-uk.org.