Two men in balaclavas — one armed with a blade — forced their way into a Gartcosh house days before Christmas, threatening the occupants before fleeing in a silver car.Two men wearing balaclavas burst into a property on Greenhill Avenue in Gartcosh(Image: Google Maps)

Masked thugs armed with a blade forced their way into a home and threatened the occupants just days before Christmas, police have revealed.

Two men wearing balaclavas burst into a property on Greenhill Avenue in Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, at around 10.25pm on December 22.

Police Scotland said one of the intruders was armed with a bladed weapon and both were dressed head-to-toe in black.

Detectives are treating the break-in as an attempted robbery after the pair allegedly made demands before fleeing empty-handed in a silver saloon car.

The occupants were left “terrified”, but were not injured.

Detective Constable Scott Brown said: “This was a terrifying ordeal for two people in their own home. Extensive inquiries are under way, including door-to-door work and CCTV checks, and we are appealing for help from the public.

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“If you witnessed anything, or have CCTV or dashcam footage from the area, please contact us.”

Anyone with information should call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 3579 of December 22, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.