Masked machete gang terrorise family during 'despicable' robbery on East Kilbridge home

Dad attacked with weapon while mum and son threatened with violence in middle of night

Kittochside, East Kilbride (Google Maps)

A family was left "traumatised" after gang of masked, machete wielding thieves ransacked their home, police said.

A 55-year man was struck with one of the weapons after he went to investigate after he was woken by the sound of the gang smashing into his farm in Kittochside, East Kilbride.

He was then held in an upstairs bedroom while the property was ransacked, along with his wife, 56, and 26-year-old son were All three were repeatedly threatened with “extreme violence”, police said.

The ordeal, in the early hours of Saturday morning, lasted 20 minutes before the gang of four made off with cash, jewellery and family’s Range Rover. A fifth man waited in a get-away car outside the property.

Detective Sergeant Alan MacDonald, of Cambuslang CID, said: "This group of despicable individuals completely terrorised this family and made threats of extreme violence, which made them genuinely fear for their lives.

"They have been left absolutely traumatised and it is vital that we trace the criminals responsible for this abhorrent incident.

"The house is in an isolated location, near to the Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride and I would appeal to anyone who was in the area in the early hours of this morning and may have noticed the gang’s black Nissan Qashqai to please get in touch.

"Any motorists with dash cams who were driving in the area around 4.30am are urged to contact police as they may have captured footage of the suspects making off from the scene."

He added the raiders drove off along Carmunnock bypass. The Range Rover was later found abandoned in the Mount Vernon area of Glasgow.

Officers were called to the property – known as Castlehill Farm – at around 4.30am after the suspects left.

The injured man did not need medical treatment.

One of the suspects is described as being in his early twenties with a local accent and wearing a grey hoodie.

The rest of the men also had local accents and police said they were wearing dark clothing with scarves/balaclavas covering their faces.