Armed men threaten family. VIDEO

Three robbers, their faces covered by balaclavas, forced their way into the maisonette in Gleadless.

Wielding weapons, they demanded cash and drugs from single mum Sarah Wright.

The 33-year-old was threatened with a baseball bat and pushed backwards towards the lounge where her seven-year-old daughter Megan Murphy was playing.

A shaken Sarah told The Star today: "I could hear the kids screaming and I knew Megan had caught sight of the men.

"They kept saying, 'What have you got? What can we have?' but I wouldn't let them past. Megan was in there.

"We couldn't get out and they kept asking, 'Where is the money? Where are the drugs?'

"I didn't know what they were talking about. I am a mother, I don't do any type of drugs."

Today detectives appealed for information about the harrowing tea-time raid.

Sarah was forced to hand over her mobile phone and 25 in cash before the robbers finally gave up and fled the house on foot.

The masked raiders struck at around 5.30pm while both of Sarah's children - Megan and son Liam Murphy, 10 - were playing indoors.

Sarah had also been looking after her next door neighbour's children for the day, some of whom were also inside her maisonette on Spring Close View.

As she spoke to her neighbour in the hallway she opened the front door to let one of the children out and, as she did so, the raiders burst in.

"Three man ran in wearing black balaclavas and some of them were holding baseball bats," she said. "Luckily my neighbour's daughter had escaped and ran next door to call the police but one of the men shut the front door behind her and blocked it."

The man blocking the door eventually released his grip after Sarah pleaded with the men that there were young children in the house.

Sarah, who has lived in the council-owned property for three years, said: "What if they had been watching me for weeks thinking I was an easy target?

"Your home is the one place where you should feel safe. Now we don't. It was absolutely terrifying.

"I didn't know what was going to happen. I am terrified of being alone in the house but I'm scared to go out too."

She added: "I am terrified and the children are incredibly upset. They don't even want to play outside anymore."

Police are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information about the raid, at around 5.30pm on Friday, should call Woodseats CID on 0114 296 3671.