Intruders attack two families

An elderly couple believed they were safe in their home of 60 years.

But early yesterday morning, that illusion was shattered when they woke to find a knife-wielding intruder in their bedroom.

Police were called to the Seddon Rd house in Hamilton at 6.40am yesterday after a man entered the house, smashing glass, stealing money - and even grabbing a tin of biscuits.

The couple, in their 70s and 80s, were unhurt, but deeply shocked.

"I was woken up when he came into the bedroom and I suddenly got up. That's when he drew a knife on me," said the elderly man. "There was just the two of us here. He smashed my wife's reading glasses and a lot of items are missing."

Hamilton police Sergeant Dale Smith said a police dog and handler were only able to track the offender a short distance because of poor weather conditions.

"This couple have lived in their home for more than 60 years and now their sense of security has been shattered," he said.

Meanwhile, Tauranga police are searching for two men who broke into an Otumoetai home, bashing the male occupant and frightening his family.

The men were armed with a knife, a metal bar and a screwdriver.

When the resident confronted them he was brutally attacked as his wife and three children, aged from 9 to 15, watched from the landing. The attack was so violent that blood was left on the walls and stairs of the home.

When the man's wife came to his aid, the men threatened to get a gun and shoot her. They took her cellphone when she tried to ring police.