DETECTIVES are looking for two thugs who held a mother and son at knifepoint while ransacking their home of £38,000.

In the terrifying incident, the teenage boy, his mother and some of his schoolfriends, were taken hostage in their Redbridge Lane West home in Wanstead while the attackers plundered the house.

The nightmare began when the teenage boy answered the door around 11.50pm last Wednesday to two men who pushed past him and dragged him upstairs to the bedroom at knifepoint.

An Ilford police spokeswoman said: "He was dragged to an upstairs back bedroom but some of his friends, who were staying over, heard the commotion and ran out from their respective bedrooms.

"The suspects grabbed them and forced them into the same bedroom as their friend, and they were all held at knifepoint against their will."

The horror continued when the mother returned home. One of the burglars punched her in the face and dragged her upstairs by the hair, bundling her into the bedroom where she was also held at knifepoint.

Det Con Jerry Phillips told the Guardian: "The victims were very shocked, upset and traumatised after their ordeal. It is not believed they received any hospital treatment, but they were extremely shaken up."

The pair helped themselves to a haul of jewels and electrical equipment including a £10,000 diamond-encrusted Rolex watch, a diamond ring, a computer worth £1,000 and a jewellery box containing sentimental items.

To add insult to injury they escaped with their spoils in the family's silver Citroen Xsara Picasso, valued at £15,000.

DC Phillips added: "We are appealing for any witnesses to come forward and help us track down these men. We are keen to hear from anybody who may have seen them in the area before the burglary, or afterwards in the stolen car."

Both burglars were described as black, and the thug who punched the mother was 6ft 2ins tall with a scar on his neck. He was wearing black track suit bottoms, Nike trainers with black plastic webbing and a gold bracelet and ring.

His accomplice was around 5ft 10ins tall, but there is no other description of him. Witnesses should ring PC Andy Philips on 8345 2610.

In another burglary last Monday, crooks made off with around £13,200 worth of expensive jewels from a home in Cleveland Road, South Woodford, between 3pm and 6.50pm.

The wife arrived home and discovered the front door locked from the inside, but she walked around the back and discovered a rear window had been broken and the back door left wide open.

She then discovered her home had been ransacked of a haul of jewellery, antique silverware and electrical items, including a pearl and enamel necklace valued at £1,800. Witnesses should ring Ilford police on 8345 2779.

January 30, 2003 11:00