AN ELDERLY couple have spoken for the first time, of the terrifying ordeal as they were threatened with hunting knifes and boiling water in their own home.

Brian Cotier, 75 and his wife Pat, 74, were in their bungalow on Clinton Close, St Osyth on March, 1, when masked men came to their door.

The couple, who have lived in the Tendring area for about 40 years, have four children, 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

They have now been left terrified and feel like 'a bag of nerves' in their own home as they had a number of possessions stolen during the incident.

"It was just a normal day, nothing happened until about 8.20pm," Brian said.

"I heard a knock at the door and I assumed it was my neighbour she's quite elderly and sometimes if she's not well she'd come over here.

"When I opened the door, it crashed open, and the two people were stood there wearing masks.

"They were stood there with knives.

"They just barged in - it was so quick I didn't even have a chance to block them.

" They were wearing balaclavas - all you could see was their eyes and their mouths."

Once the men had made their way into the pensioners home Brian says that one pushed Pat, who suffers with a range of health complications, into their bathroom and threatened to lock her in.

"I grabbed on to the sink to steady myself - I'm not steady on my feet so I have to have walking sticks," Pat said.

"They had hunting knives with them - about ten inches long - they both had them.

" I came out of the bathroom to find Brian in the living room where they were battering him about.

"They were prodding the knives towards us.

"They wouldn't let us out of the house - one was blocking the door and one was stood in front of Brian.

"They just wanted money - that's all they were interested in.

"We kept on saying ‘We're pensioners, we haven't got money’ and they just kept on prodding the knives towards us.

"One then said to the other 'go in the kitchen and switch the kettle on and boil it'.

"They then changed their mind and said grab the dog and go and get the petrol."

Brian added: "That's when I got up and they smacked me in the face and pushed me back down onto the sofa.

"That's when we went into survival mode.

"They took my wallet, they took my phone, debit cards, credit cards, Pat's handbag, house keys and a set of car keys."

The crooks also took Pat’s heart and lung pills before leaving their home but luckily the couple came away from the incident with only minor injuries.

Pat said: "Ever since this I've been a bundle of nerves, every noise scares me.

"They frightened the life out of us,"

The family of Mr and Mrs Cotier are offering a £1,000 reward for information about the incident.

Witnesses or anyone with information about the incident should call Clacton CID on 101.