THIEVES swooped to steal expensive cars from the driveways of two homes while their owners were asleep.
The raiders struck at houses in Harwood and Bradshaw less than one mile apart, between late Sunday night and the early hours of Monday morning.
They took a black Volkswagen Golf R worth more than £18,000 together with a black Audi valued at about £7,000, from the front of Sean and Melissa Woodward’s home in Patterdale Road, Harwood.
The vehicles were stolen between 11pm on Sunday and 6am on Monday.
And they also struck at Sue Cooke’s home in Bradshaw, stealing a silver Honda Civic type R thought to be worth around £10,000 from outside a property in Hulme Road between 2am and 8am on Monday.
They stole a metallic Ford Focus RS worth about £35,000, from the front of the property, but ditched it just around the corner after the immobiliser prevented them from driving it off.
The thieves burgled the houses to snatch the car keys.
Mrs Woodward said the fact the burglars had been in her house while she slept was more disturbing than the theft of the vehicles.
She said: “That’s the frightening bit, the cars are possessions you can replace, but it’s the fact someone has been in the house.
“I was up with our puppy at 1.30am. What happens if I come across someone in the house, what am I expected to do? What if they attack me?
“If they take the cars, they take the cars — they are both insured — but someone in my house definitely worries me. And it worries me that it’s happening in Harwood. It's meant to be one of the nicest areas in Bolton, but it’s not at the moment.”
The 29-year-old sales engineer, added that she felt the thefts were targeted and organised rather than opportunist.
“I think it’s most likely they have conspired, they have sussed us out and seen things before, rather than just trying to get into the the house or the cars. It’s not just an opportunist, it’s something more than that.