A HORRIFIED couple were left helpless after being forced to watch a burglar ransack their home over an internet CCTV app while they were on holiday 120 miles away.

Donna Marusamy, 37, and husband Nathan, 45, were on a weekend break with their children when she received a notification on her phone after sensors detected movement in their back garden.

The couple then watched on as a hooded burglar walked through their living room and upstairs to steal their passports and jewellery.

Sentimental items, including Nathan’s wedding ring and his dad’s wedding ring, were taken from their home in Streetly, West Midlands, at around 10.15pm on August 4.

The footage shows the man, who walked with a limp, creep around the back garden, enter the house with a torch and roam around the house looking for things to steal.

The family alerted police and Donna's brother-in-law from their hotel room in Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset, but the crook had managed to escape by the time they got there.

Donna said the family are now worried about going away again in future and their two children have been too terrified to sleep in their own beds.

"It really ruined our break away. We had to cut it short" she said.

“We had a notification on our phone and saw somebody in our back garden shining a torch light.

“We had just put the kids to bed and the notification came up.

“We thought we should check it and we could see the back garden.

“We thought it’s either a ghost or someone is in our garden.

“We zoomed in and I said ‘I think it is someone checking out our house’.

“He got in through our conservatory and removed the glass and put it to the side neatly.

“He then stepped inside, I was horrified, scared and helpless.

"I panicked and thought this is happening.

“My heart just went ‘no’, I just wanted to scream and shout but we were just totally speechless.

“We called my brother-in-law who lives five minutes and the police.

“My brother-in-law got there before the police.

“He went on the driveway and shone a light through the house and the burglar then legged it.

“He went to a neighbour and said: 'I can hear him in the house'.

“He stole an Air-King Rolex, my husband's Indian gold jewellery, Bulgari wedding ring and my husband's dad's wedding ring which is sentimental to the family.

“He also took our passports.

"I wish to god I hadn't seen it unfold.

“It's a violation of your own privacy.

“They just walk in and do whatever they need to do within five minutes and the repercussions are massive.

“You feel like you have your hands tied behind your back. My husband has been really, really angry.

“We work really hard and pay our taxes. My husband runs his own design engineering business.

“I thought I am splattering your face everywhere so I uploaded it to Facebook.

"I am overwhelmed at the response of Birmingham and neighbouring cities and even abroad, trying to catch this guy.

“Now my children sleep in the same bed as me, in fear of someone coming into the home, we feel it will take us time to feel safe in our home.

“I am eager to start a movement within communities to combat these crimes, there are not enough police resources. So the only way we can do it is as a community.

Kevin Pitt, police, engagement and consultation officer with West Midlands Police said: “The offender has gained entry to the rear garden and then removed the beading from a window to enter the house.

“The house alarm sounded and the offender was disturbed.”