A FAMILY woke to find their garden gate screwed shut overnight, potentially trapping them in their premises.

Aislinn and Charles Balderston, of Clifford Road, North Berwick, and their sons Frankie, 11, Arthur and Teddy, both 3, were trapped in their front garden when they tried to leave the property to take the twins to the GP surgery.

“We were watching TV one night,” said Mrs Balderston, “And we heard this really funny noise, like a drill or something. Then something pinged off the sitting room window.

“I looked out but I couldn’t see anything so we went to bed and forgot about it.

“In the morning we went to take the babies to the doctor for their MMR jags but couldn’t open the front gate.”

She added: “When we went back through the house and round, we saw that the top of the gate had been broken off, then used to screw the gate shut.

“The noise we heard had been an electric screwdriver.”

The family reported the incident to the police, and neighbours were informed via a WhatsApp online messaging group set up to support the community during Covid-19.

Mrs Balderston continued: “We wondered if someone was annoyed at us for leaving the house but we only go to the supermarket once a week.

“It doesn’t look like an act of random vandalism – it was done by someone who really meant it.

“Deliberately screwing our gate shut when we are in the house with three children would not have had a great outcome had there been a fire and we needed to get out the front way.”

A police spokesperson said: “Around 10.25am on Monday, April 6, a report was made to officers about damage to a gate at an address on Clifford Road, North Berwick. Enquiries will be carried out into this matter.”

Those with information are asked to call Police Scotland on 101.

 

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