Heartless thieves ransack home and steal Christmas presents after young mum worked overtime to surprise kids

Thankfully kind strangers stepped in to save the day

A mum-of-two has thanked the kind strangers who brought round bags full of presents after burglars nearly "destroyed" the family's Christmas by stealing gifts for her son.

Crooks smashed their way through the back door at the home of Amy Mills, 29, and her sons Charlie, aged nine, and Jojo, two, at some point on Friday on Brandon in Hough Green, Widnes .

Once inside the criminals made off with a 65-inch television and tipped over Amy's bed to loot a haul of boxed gifts including expensive items such as an iPhone.

The burglary meant heartbreak for Amy, who has been doing her Christmas shopping since June working overtime, bolstered by a credit union loan, to pay for the presents.

But after an appeal was posted on the Widnes police Facebook page, two women she had never met before turned up with some presents to make sure her two boys had something to open on Christmas Day.

Amy has now thanked the women, one of whom was called Lou Pye and whom she hailed as the "loveliest person".

She said: “I’ve messaged her to thank her.

"She said ‘I’ll come and see you for a coffee’.

"She’s the loveliest person ever."

Amy remains overwhelmed by the kindness shown since from wellwishers, and avid reader Charlie has contented himself with the run-up to Christmas by reading books by his favourite authors Roald Dahl, David Walliams, Michael Morpurgo and Jeff Kinney.

Amy said there must have been two burglars because of the size of the TV, which she was surprised they could fit through the smashed rear door window.

She said it must have happened during broad daylight between around 12.30pm and 1.15pm.

The ordeal has left her fearing for their safety, and she now sleeps downstairs, and has given her son Charlie to be ready to flee with his little brother if she shouts.

Amy fears the burglary is part of the area’s general decline.

She said one elderly neighbour is too scared to walk to the shops after having fireworks thrown at her.

Sadly, the burglary has left a difficult aftermath for everyone affected.

She said: "My nine-year-old will not come home – he’s begging me to move as soon as the window’s fixed.

“He’s terrified, he’s so so scared.

"I haven’t slept upstairs.

"I’ve been sleeping on the couch every night."

She added: "They’ve destroyed my kids’ Christmas and we know it’s only a couple of weeks away.

"I get paid literally the day before Christmas Eve.

"I don’t know what I’ll be able to do for the kids now."

Discussing the moment she realised what had happened, she said: "The dog was at the front door and I came home – he doesn’t wee in the house – so I walked him round the field and he wouldn’t come back in.

"He was weeing himself.

"I put him down and I thought ‘where’s the telly?’

"He was barking and I screamed outside and the neighbour facing came out and she went upstairs and said ‘every draw’s open and your bed’s lifted up’ and there was not a crumb left of Christmas stuff’."

The culprits were branded "vile" on social media by Sergeant Rob Anderson, of Widnes police.

An investigation is under way.

A Cheshire police spokesman said: "At 1.45pm on Friday, November 22, officers were informed of a burglary at an address on Brandon, Widnes.

"Some time between 7.50am and 1.40pm on Friday, November 22, unknown offenders forced entry into the address via the back door and stole a television.

"Anyone with any information is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101 quoting IML 571182."