BURGLARS were foiled in their attempt to break in to a Bolton residential home today -- after being spotted by a passing police car as they tried to force a window.

Workers at Queensdale Rest Home, Chorley New Road, had an early morning shock when they spotted a man acting suspiciously in the grounds at 7am.

One care assistant at the 17-room home for the elderly said she saw a young man in the grounds through one of the ground floor windows.

"I thought it was strange and wondered what he was doing," she said. "A few minutes later the police came to the door and said they had spotted someone trying to force one of the windows."

The man, described only as wearing a white shirt, had attempted to force open the window of an 88-year-old woman resident. The resident was described as "very poorly" by care workers but she was not disturbed by the burglar.

Police officers chased the man but he escaped.

One police officer at the scene said: "We can confirm there has been an attempted burglary at the home. Our inquiries are still in their earliest stages and we cannot say anything more at present."