A MOTHER and son were forced to barricade themselves in a bedroom after armed men broke into their home.

The mum feared for their lives as one of the men attempted to smash his way in. She has told how the men smashed the glass of the front door of the flat in Haven Road, Canvey armed with a metal pole.

The mum-of-one, 49, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It was just a regular Saturday night and we had a call on our entry intercom system from a man calling for someone called Richard, we told him it was the wrong house.

Then about 15 minutes later it sounded like a firework was being put through my front door and we saw a man smashing the glass of the door.

“My son, who is 21, and I ran upstairs and we saw the man coming towards us with a big metal bar. We ran into the bedroom and shut the door and the man started kicking the door and shouting just open the door nobody will get hurt, that was obviously a lie.I live with Multiple Sclerosis and my anxiety is just through the roof at the minute.

“Luckily my son was able to keep the door shut, but I thought the man was going to kill us.”

She called police as the man was attempting to smash through the bedroom door and spoke loudly in the hope the man would hear she was reporting the incident. She said her son saved the pair from being attacked.

The mum said: “I keep replaying the incident over and over in my head. I am now sleeping with a baseball bat by my bed as I am so scared.

“I am scared the man will come back again.

“I do not feel safe in my own home and want to move house, I am on the council house waiting list.

“I have lived here about seven years and we have never had any problems or anything at all.”

She said she is not sleeping and doesn’t feel comfortable in her home after the shocking incident.

She also said she hopes the men don’t do this to anyone else.

The men didn’t take anything during the break in and the mum was told by police that officers arrived at the home within three minutes of her call.

Police are now appealing for witnesses.

Anyone with information about the incident should come forward. A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were called to reports of an aggravated burglary at an address on Haven Road, Canvey, just after 11.25pm on Saturday, December 1.

“Two men had entered the property using force and one, described as a black man of large build, was believed to be armed with what has been described as a metal pipe.

“Officers attended and searched the scene and surrounding area, but the two men had left the property.

“Our enquiries are ongoing but anyone with information is asked to call us on 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/176097/18.”