A new bride has bravely spoken about her Hitchin burglary ordeal after police released CCTV footage of the intruders entering her home this week.

The Comet: Bearton Road burglary suspectsBearton Road burglary suspects (Image: Archant)

Officers investigating a break-in at a house in Bearton Road after a Rolex watch and blue BMW were stolen are appealing for information about the men seen in the images at Clare Puncher’s home.

Clare, 32, moved to the town five months ago with her husband Simon, an IT consultant.

For safety’s sake they had a security camera fitted in their home which notifies owners of unexpected movements, and relays footage of incidents direct to their computer.

Civil servant Clare was at work at her desk in London when she watched the disturbing video of the intruders and spoke to the Comet this week in a bid to raise awareness in finding the culprits.

The Comet: Bearton Road burglary suspectsBearton Road burglary suspects (Image: Archant)

She said: “I was shocked as I watched the footage.

“It’s not the theft of material items. It’s the fact we feel violated by people breaking into our house, ransacking our bedroom and stealing a watch with sentimental value and an expensive car we worked hard to be able to afford.

“For people to feel that they can enter someone’s house and take what is not theirs makes me feel sick.

“They saw the car and went in to find the key in the house, which they did. They then decided to see what else they could find.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6CpOhXq0fU

The couple, who only got married this summer, had chosen Hitchin for a host of reasons including its safety and sense of community – and were shocked by the break-in.

“We’d only been married four months when the break-in happened. They pulled out all our bedroom drawers, scattering everything in a bid to find what they could.

“I feel less safe because of what happened, although it hasn’t clouded my view of Hitchin.

“I have to say thank you to friends and neighbours for rallying around us, the supportive response from the community has been very heartening.

“But I do feel violated by this deeply unpleasant incident. We lived in East London for five years and were never broken into once. I just hope someone recognises the men as I really want them caught.

“Our neighbours are slightly traumatised by the fact it happened to us, and could possibly happen to them if these people are not caught.”

If you have any information about the incident – which occurred at around 4.45pm on Wednesday, August 10 – call 101 quoting crime reference G1/16/2020. You can view the footage, released by police on Monday, on the Comet website.