A MAN was forced to hand over the keys to his car after a thief smashed his way into his Rambottom home on Wednesday night.

The masked car-jacker, brandishing a hammer, smashed a glass panel next to the door before confronting the homeowner.

He demanded the keys to the man's car before he drove off with at least two other offenders in the victim's black 03 registered Saab 93 Aerodeck.

The drama began at around 10.20pm as the 43-year-old victim sat in the lounge of his house in Smithills Hall Close with his wife and two young children.

There was knock at the door by someone claiming to be a neighbour.

The car owner asked the man to come to the front room window so he could see who it was.

As the victim walked to the window, he heard a loud smash and a glass panel next to the door was smashed with a hammer.

A man in a balaclava suddenly apppeared and calmly asked for the keys to the car parked on the drive.

The victim handed them over and then went to check on his family who were sitting terrified in the lounge.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "This was a totally and utterly terrifying incident for this man and his family to be put through.

"Although the man who smashed the glass panel and demanded the keys spoke in a calm voice and did not shout, the family nevertheless felt very threatened by this man.

"We are appealing for anyone who may have seen this man and at least two other men in or around the area prior to the theft.

"We are also asking people to please contact us if they see this car driving around the area."

Anyone information is asked to call Bury CID on 0161 856 8150 or Crimestoppers on free phone 0800 555 111.