Watch moment 'gift-wrapped brick' is thrown through window on Christmas Day, traumatising family

A family have been left "traumatised" after a "gift-wrapped brick" was thrown through their lounge window in the early hours of Christmas Day.

Kelly Leah-Higgins, 45, who lives in Newtown, Shropshire with her husband and five children, said she was "playing Santa" and had just filled up the last of her children's stockings when a "gift-wrapped brick" came crashing through the window of their property on Garth Owen. The brick narrowly avoided her husband Rob Higgins and two of her children, Mabel, three, and Albert, one, who were sleeping on the sofa beneath the window.

She said: "My two little ones were sleeping on the sofa downstairs, thankfully the one-year-old had been poorly so my husband was with them and nursing him back to sleep. I'd gone upstairs to play Santa and was just filling up the last stocking when I heard this massive explosion. I dropped everything and ran downstairs. I saw my husband getting the kids up and all these massive shards of glass everywhere and the kids were screaming. It was awful."

Luckily, there were minimal injuries, with Kelly's youngest escaping with only a cut to the knee. She said: "I keep thinking 'what could have been, what could have happened, what if my husband wasn't there?'. We're all traumatised, it was such a noise even the dog is traumatised."

Later on Christmas morning, Kelly got up before the children and covered the boarded-up window with wrapping paper and fairy lights for a bit of "normality".

"It takes a very sad individual to be thinking of doing this on Christmas Eve instead of being with friends and family," she added. But the mum-of-five said she didn't let it ruin Christmas."I love Christmas," she said, "I wouldn't let it spoil Christmas - me and Rob were exhausted, we only had an hour's sleep that night. It dampened it, but I wouldn't let them ruin it."

In the shocking footage shared by the family, a person in dark clothing and what appears to be a red Santa hat is seen running towards the property and through the gate before appearing to drop and then retrieve the brick. The individual then approaches the home's ground floor window before throwing the item and running off down the road.

Kelly, who has lived on Garth Owen her entire life, says the neighbourhood has gone downhill in recent times. "It's like something out of Brookside," Kelly said, "I've never known anything like it. My parents have always left their doors open, they don't anymore. Everyone's getting CCTV now - it's terrible. We have to literally lock our front gates now."

According to Dyfed-Powys Police, Kelly's home wasn't the only one targeted that night, with three reports made to police of bricks being thrown through windows on Garth Owen. Police are now appealing for information to help officers with their investigations.

A spokesperson from Dyfed-Powys Police said: "I can confirm we received three reports of bricks being thrown through windows on Garth Owen during the early hours of Christmas Day. Anyone with information that could help officers with their investigation is asked to report it to Dyfed-Powys Police, either online at: bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Quote reference: DP-20231225-026."