Thieves dug up family's patio and said hello to seven-year-old son when he spotted them

Thieves dug up a couple's patio, saying hello to their seven-year-old son when he spotted them in the garden. Vicky Herrity was left stunned after discovering that eight York stone flags had been taken from their back yard in Little Lever, Greater Manchester. But she was even more shocked when she found that her young son Dylan had seen the thieves after hearing a noise.



Mrs Herrity, and her husband Anthony have lived in the house since 1996. They have never previously had any problems at the address. Mrs Herrity said: "Dylan could not really describe them. I could not believe it when he told me. He just thought they were working in the back yard. The fact they said 'hello' to him is unbelievable.

"Being that age, he just thought it was normal. I wish he had run upstairs to me, but he did not. When I noticed, he said to me that he'd seen these men and I couldn't believe it." Mrs Herrity and her four children were in the house when the thieves struck, but only Dylan saw them. Mr Herrity said: "I have concreted the patio now. The slabs are £65 each, and the home insurance excess was about that, so it was a lot of money for us either way.



"We couldn't believe it. I've been asking around and it seems that it seems people are targeting stone and flags as it is not traceable. They're moving away from scrap metal." A police spokesman said: "We are investigating after the eight York stone flags were stolen. The evidence of a witness, aged seven, shows that the suspects were white men, one of whom was wearing a hat, and had a scruffy appearance."