A dad has spoken about the horrifying moment he watched a burglar crawling around his little boy's room after she was caught on the family's CCTV.
Oliver Wallace was out in a pub in London with his brother when he got a notification on his phone telling him there had been movement in his two-year-old son's room back in Surrey.
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Initially, Oliver assumed it was the family's pet cat that had set it off, as his wife Sally and son Sam had travelled to Florida earlier that day, leaving the home empty.
But upon checking out what the footage had caught, Oliver was left reeling after seeing a woman crawling around his son's room, before rummaging through a cupboard, while an accomplice stood in the doorway.
Thirty-seven-year-old Oliver said: "The first drinks had barely arrived when I had an alert that there was movement in the house.
"I thought it must be the cats doing something silly, so I took a look.
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"To my horror and disbelief, I saw a woman crawling around on my son's floor.
"I started shouting 'I can see you'.
"But the signal wasn't working properly, and she didn't seem to hear me.
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"I couldn't believe it. My brother had no idea what was going on."
Oliver called the police to tell them what was happening, but the pair still managed to take off with around £10,000 worth of stuff as well as nicking 'irreplaceable' and 'priceless' items of family jewellery belonging to his wife.
Oliver added: "My baby was sleeping in that room earlier that day. Just seeing this woman inches from his cot was so upsetting, chilling really.
"I was speaking to friends about it and they said please don't tell the kids as they'll have nightmares. Luckily Sam is too young to understand.
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"The scary thing is that it was very unusual that we weren't all in. My wife and son had just flown to Florida that morning, and I had asked my brother to go for a drink because I was home alone."
Police arrived around 45 minutes after his call, but both thieves had already fled. After putting in a call to the cops, Oliver rang himself a cab and began the hour-long journey home.
He says the house was 'turned upside down' as the burglars hunted for items of high value.
Oliver said: "They targeted small expensive items, finding my wife's priceless collection of family jewellery.
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"She inherited it all from her parents, who both died in a car crash seven years ago.
"They took the sovereign necklace her mum was wearing when she died. They were priceless heirlooms of huge sentimental value.
"Then there were smaller things - wedding gifts, the watch I bought with my first ever pay check. They might not cost that much but they mean a lot.
"What I found so shocking was how professional they were. We had napkin rings that were solid silver, that I would never have recognised in the dark.
"They knew exactly what they were doing - they stole nearly everything from my wife's jewellery box but left some costume jewellery."
Oliver says the pair apparently got in using a 'skeleton key', which they managed to jiggle about to open the door.
"It was found in the front door," Oliver explained. "An officer said it wasn't the right key but he got it to work with some tugging. It's frightening.
"I've had the locks changed and they're much sturdier now, but I don't even want to leave the house. I know it's unlikely they'll come back, but still. I just want them caught.
"I just feel like the more people that are aware, the more chance, however slim, we have of getting something back or stopping these people doing it again.
"You feel like you've let your family down somehow and I just want to do all I can."
Sally and Sam are still in Florida.
Surrey Police has now launched an investigation, and are appealing for witnesses.
"We are appealing for witnesses and information after a property in Warlingham was burgled on Wednesday night.
"The suspects gained access through an insecure patio door, and then proceeded to search the house, stealing a number of items, including items of jewellery.
"One offender can be clearly seen in the footage, and is described as female, white, with long blonde hair and wearing a hooded top and jogging bottoms ."
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