Man awoken at gunpoint by car thieves

A father has claimed a gun was pointed in his face after he was awoken in the night by armed intruders.

Chris Cox, 44, wants greater action on car key burglars following the attack at his West Bromwich home in the early hours of 21 January.

West Midlands Police is investigating the crime, which saw a black BMW X5 taken from the drive along with expensive watches.

"My heart was pounding while it was happening but I was more concerned about my daughter who was in the next room," he said.

The single father runs his own roofing company and said purchasing the BMW in February 2022 had been a "dream come true".

He was not previously able to work full time due to childcare commitments and set up the firm in 2017 when his daughter started school.

"She's only 13 and it has affected her a lot," he said. "The more people that know of this the more pressure that gets put on [the robbers]."

West Midlands Police said officers were carrying out inquiries and asked anybody who was in the area at about 04:00 GMT to get in touch.

The force confirmed Mr Cox's home was "broken into by a group" who threatened him before stealing his car keys and taking valuable items.

"The investigation continues and we are in contact with the victim," a statement added.

Mr Cox urged police to take the issue seriously, but added he knew they were reliant on funding from the government.

"I think the police need to do more," he added.

"It's a matter time before you hear: 'Thieves have shot someone dead because they refuse to hand over keys.'"

Asked what the force was doing to tackle violent robberies, a spokesperson said its road crime teams regularly targeted car key burglars.

The spokesperson said patrols were being carried out in areas which have been targeted, with officers using local intelligence to identify those responsible.

Earlier this month, a major new drive aimed at reducing crime in key areas of the West Midlands was announced by police.

The force said Operation Fearless would "improve the quality of life for people in communities" across the region, targeting problems including drugs, anti-social behaviour, robbery and violence.

The scheme has been launched in Erdington, where crime is estimated to have cost the economy £7m in the past year, but will later be rolled out to other areas.

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