Cilla Black has spoken of her distress after a gang of thugs raided her home, beating up her son and stealing over £1 million worth of jewellery.
The Blind Date host, who cut short a holiday in Spain to race back to the UK as soon as she heard the news, said she was devastated by the loss of the items, many of which were gifts from her late husband Bobby. But her main sensation was relief that her son Jack survived the ordeal.
The 22-year-old was woken late Saturday night by the sound of the gang breaking into the family home in Buckinghamshire. When he opened his bedroom door, he was confronted by three men wearing balaclavas, who assaulted him with a crowbar and threatened to kidnap him before raiding the house.
"I am extremely proud at the way he handled and is handling this traumatic experience," said Cilla. "What he was subjected to must be everyone's nightmare: to be woken up by three masked intruders, assaulted with a crowbar, have your life threatened with a knife held to your throat and to be told you will be kidnapped for ransom is truly horrific."
"I am just so grateful he is alive and slowly coming to terms with what has happened."
The gang gained entry to the house by climbing the perimeter fence and forcing open a ground floor window. After stealing Cilla's entire collection of jewellery, they tied Jack to a radiator and made off.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
