Traumatised couple 'forced to drink black liquid'

An elderly couple who were woken by an intruder in their bedroom and forced to drink a "horrible" black liquid at knifepoint said the trauma of it had "ruined our life".

Roland, 85, and Maureen, 79, said a man broke into their home in Royton, Greater Manchester, and confronted them in their bedroom on 10 February.

Maureen said the man shook them awake and forced them drink the liquid before making off with their banks card and a mobile phone.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers were investigating whether the incident was linked to another break-in on Sunday, when an 82-year-old man was beaten and tied up before he was stuffed inside a cupboard at another house in Royton.

Maureen said she and Roland were woken with a start at about 05:00 GMT.

"I felt this hand on my shoulder and I thought it was Roland shaking me for some reason," she said.

"This chap was looking down on me and I said, 'what are you doing here? What are you doing?'"

She said the man asked for valuables and when she refused, he went to their kitchen and came back with two knives.

Roland said the intruder forced him to drink a "dark liquid" which he promptly spat out.

He said the man was "very evil" and it had left him "terrified".

"It is just in my head all the time and keeps coming back," he said.

His wife said it had "ruined our life".

"We are just in shock," she said.

"We don't want to eat anything and I can't even cry.

"It was horrible. I can't believe anybody can do that."

She added that the sooner the man was arrested, "the better".

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