LONDON: England cricket captain Ben Stokes said on Wednesday that a masked gang robbed his house while his family was inside while he was away in Pakistan for the final tour.
The 33-year-old said his family suffered “no physical harm” but a number of “emotional” items were taken.
Stokes’ wife Claire and children Leighton and Libby were home when the robbery occurred during the Second Test, with the all-rounder leading England in a match they eventually lost by 152 runs on their way to a 2-1 series loss.
“On the evening of Thursday, October 17, a number of masked men robbed my home in the Castle Eden area in the north-east,” Stokes said in a post on social media.
“They got away with jewellery, other valuables and a large amount of personal items. Many of these items have real sentimental value to me and my family. They are irreplaceable.
“This is an appeal for any assistance in finding these people who carried out this act.”
He added: “The worst thing about this crime of all is that it was committed while my wife and two young children were at home. Fortunately, none of my family suffered any physical harm.”
The English captain added in his post on the X website: “But it is understood that the experience had an impact on their emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how bad this situation is.”
He added: “I am posting pictures of some of the stolen items – which I hope will be easy to identify – in the hope that we can find the people responsible for this.”
“Although we have lost treasured possessions, to be clear, my only motive in sharing these photos is not to recover the physical items. Rather, it is to catch the people who did this,” Stokes added.
Stokes asked his followers to contact the police if they could help, before saying: “Finally, I want to say thank you to the police service. Now while I am away in Pakistan, their support for my family has been amazing. Continue to work hard in trying to find these people.”