A TERRIFIED father-of-two was forced to hand over the keys to his car after four masked men burst into his home.

The man, his wife and two young children were in bed at their Horwich home when the gang of car thieves struck.

The man was woken when he heard intruders trying to break into his home in Lever Park Avenue.

He looked out of the window and spotted the masked men on the driveway of his detached home.

One of them shouted: "Don't try to be brave. We're coming inside to get your keys."

The gang then forced their way in to the house through the front door.

The 32-year-old homeowner, who did not want to be named, ran to the top of the stairs. Two of the men ran up towards him and ordered him to get the keys.

He said: "One of them ran towards me. He was very aggressive. I couldn't believe what was happening. It was a choice between my family or my car, so I got the keys."

The shocked homeowner's wife, aged 30, and children were in bed when the men burst in. They watched as the thieves struggled to unlock a padlock on a security bollard at the end of the drive.

One thief ran back into the house to get the bollard key, before getting away in the family's red Audi Quatro.

The wife said: "We were all very frightened. You're not even safe in your own home any more. This shouldn't be allowed to happen to anyone else."

The thieves had earlier tried to "fish" the car keys by putting a hook through the letter box.

Insp John Dunstan, of Astley Bridge Police, said: "We have had a spate of thefts of prestige vehicles using the hook method.

"It appears this has now appeared to have escalated. The family weren't injured but it is a quite worrying development.

"We are particularly concerned about this escalation and will be looking at this Crime very seriously."

The incident happened just after 2am. The family's car was later found abandoned in Wigan.

Anyone with information is asked to call Astley Bridge Police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers on free phone 0800 555111.