No-one is to be prosecuted following a terrifying raid at a family home in Bradford in which a woman allegedly had a knife held to her throat, the Telegraph & Argus can reveal.

A couple and their three young children were confronted by three men, armed with what was believed to be a shotgun and a knife, who entered their house in Fairfax Avenue, Bierley.

It was claimed that the gun was pointed at the 29-year-old father and a knife held to the throat of his girlfriend during the aggravated burglary. It was also alleged the gang threatened to kill their three children – boys aged between one and seven – before fleeing with property, leaving the family terrified.

The raid happened at about 10pm, on November 9 last year – two hours after three masked men carried out a knifepoint robbery at a house in Halifax. During that attack, a retired optician and his accountant, both aged 68, were repeatedly punched and kicked.

The attackers ran off with the keys to a Vauxhall Corsa.

Last week Bradford career criminal Michael Nelson, 34, of Greenholme Court, Holme Wood, was given a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection after pleading guilty to involvement in the Halifax robbery. The court heard the two other robbers had not been identified.

Armed response officers were mobilised following the aggravated burglary in Bierley and three suspects were traced to Holme Wood Social Club, where they were arrested peacefully.

The men, aged 34, 33 and 27, who included Nelson, were held in custody for questioning.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service yesterday said the prosecution against him had now been dropped.

The spokesman said: “This defendant was charged initially under the threshold test, set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. That is that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the continuing investigation will produce further evidence that will establish a realistic prospect of conviction.

“When it became apparent that there was insufficient evidence to link the suspect to the scene of the crime, and therefore no realistic prospect of conviction, the case was discontinued.”

Detective Inspector Mark Long, of Bradford South CID, who led the investigation into the Bierley raid, said: “This was thoroughly investigated and a prosecution file was submitted to the CPS. We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the matter.”

  • Read the full story in Wednesday's T&A