Ring Doorbell Captures Terrifying Attempted Break-In at Bromley Family Home
A chilling Ring doorbell video has captured the moment two masked intruders attempted to force their way into a South London property while a family slept upstairs. The incident occurred in West Wickham, Bromley, early on March 5, leaving the residents shaken and prompting increased security measures.
Early Morning Alert Sparks Panic
Devin Parmar, 42, his wife, and their two children were asleep when they received an alert at 5:20 a.m. that someone was at their front door. Upon checking the Ring app, his wife noticed one of the men obscuring the camera. Devin immediately raced downstairs in a panic to confront the pair, but they had already fled, apparently startled by the doorbell chime and his upstairs light switching on.
Devin said: "Our Ring doorbell chimed to let us know that somebody was at our front door. My wife looked in the app and noticed that there was somebody there covering the camera. I needed to protect my family. My reaction was to get downstairs as quickly as I could and confront them and defend my home."
Footage Reveals Intruders' Actions
The footage shows the duo wearing balaclavas and gloves successfully breaching the front door, with one even stepping inside before they bolted away. Devin noted a 20-second delay in the live feed, meaning he was closer behind them than initially thought. He added: "It was only afterwards that we realised they had actually forced entry. They went as soon as they heard the Ring chime and that we were aware that they were trying to break in."
Police Response and Investigation
Devin quickly contacted the police, and a forensics team was dispatched to search for evidence. Officers were surprised that the intruders chose such a late hour, suspecting they were novices as they waited for each other before fleeing. A spokesperson for the Met Police stated: "We understand the community concern that incidents like this cause and remain committed to reducing crime in London's neighbourhoods. On Thursday, 5 March at around 05:20hrs, police were called to an attempted burglary at a residential property on Cavendish Way, West Wickham."
The spokesperson added: "Officers attended and spoke to the residents who reported two suspects entered the address through the front door and left when disturbed. No items were believed to be stolen. An investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made at this stage and enquiries continue. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting CAD973/05MAR26."
Impact on Family and Security Upgrades
Since the incident, Devin has invested in additional locks for his home, admitting that the event has deeply unsettled him and his children, aged nine and five, who had always considered their neighbourhood safe. He said: "We have lived at this property for six years and we have not had any incidents of this nature occur. Burglaries and break ins are not common in the area. I had felt very safe before. West Wickham has always felt like a safe place. Incidents like this are in my view isolated, but we are a lot more cautious and vigilant now."
Devin continued: "It makes you think twice and look over your shoulder a bit more. I am quite shocked and surprised to see this happen. The area is very community led and friendly so to experience something like this here feels like the area is being targeted."
This alarming event underscores the importance of home security systems in deterring crime and protecting families, while also raising concerns about safety in typically quiet neighbourhoods.
