A councillor who said he was the victim of an attempted break-in has urged people to remain vigilant when it comes to protecting their homes.

Harrow councillor Ameet Jogia explained how he and his wife were woken up at around 5am to the sound of rattling at his home in Stanmore earlier this month.

He said the sound turned out to be a man trying to force his way into their home.

“We thought it might just be the wind, given the recent weather, but we looked out the window to see a man in a hoodie trying to break the door down,” he said.

“You never think it will happen to you and we’re still quite spooked by the whole incident. We’re not quite sure why he was targeting us.”

Cllr Jogia, whose four-month-old daughter was also in the house, said the man tried to rip down the security lights and cameras and continued trying to force his way in despite knowing there were people in.

He immediately called the police, who arrived after around ten minutes and arrested the man, who was in his 40s, on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

He praised officers for their quick response and their support throughout the ordeal, which he described as “the longest ten minutes” of his life.

The police explained that, following inquiries, the matter was not recorded as a crime and the man was released without further action.

Cllr Jogia said the incident reminded him to advise others to ensure they have as many security measures in place.

This, he said, includes double-locking windows and doors, installing deterrents and having access to a phone or panic button in bedrooms.

Cllr Krishna Suresh, responsible for crime and community cohesion at Harrow Council, recently issued similar advice following an increase in burglaries in the borough over the past few years.