Woman terrorised in late-night carving knife attack

Kirsty Sykes was told to hide in her home by police after she made a frantic call for help.

Now she is warning other people - especially the elderly - to be on their guard.

The late night incident happened at around 11pm on March 14, on Hesley Court in Swinton.

Now Kirsty (27) is scared that the man will come back.

She said: “There was a knock at the door and I opened the bedroom window.

“It was a man asking if he could come in and check my water supply.

“I told him definitely not and closed the window and watched him walk off up the street.”

Kirsty said she called her partner and while she was on the phone “a car pulled up to the top of my driveway and there was was a man and woman that were just staring into my house”.

Frightened, she went downstairs to check that all the doors and windows were secure but the woman from the car started banging on the window “telling me to let her in, that she was an escort and she wanted money”.

Kirsty added: “I told her to go away and ran back upstairs to ring the police.

Whilst I was on the phone to the police I saw the man running down my drive with a big carving knife and started trying to kick my door down.

“I opened the bedroom window again to try and reason with him as I was in complete panic.

“The police heard it all on the phone and told me to go and hide in case he managed to get in.”

Kirsty’s partner’s arrival soon afterwards coincided with the couple in the car driving away.

“I have no idea who these people were,” said Kirsty.

“With some of the things they was saying it was like they knew I was home alone.

“I dread to think what would have happened if the man had managed to break down the door.

“Armed police came out straight away and were out looking all night doing an investigation.”

Kirsty warned other people to keep their doors and windows locked, adding:  “It could happen to anyone who is naíve enough to open the door to these people.

“I am an absolute nervous wreck not knowing if these people have been caught.

“I have tried to contact the police and have been fobbed off with excuses. 

“I don’t feel safe in my own home anymore.”

A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police confirmed reports of a man armed with a knife attempting to damage the door of a property on Hesley Court. 

She said despite a search of the area, the man had not been identified and called for anyone with information to get in touch on 101 quoting incident number 1213 of March 14.

Acting Sgt Antony Cartlidge said: “I’m aware this incident may cause concern amongst the community and I would like to offer my reassurance that reports of this kind are taken extremely seriously and we will always work to pursue all lines of available enquiry.”