Ben Stokes' family home robbed by masked intruders with his wife and children present, England captain recounts terrifying ordeal

Ben Stokes, the captain of the England cricket team, recently shared the terrifying news that his house was burgled by a group of masked men while he was away in Pakistan playing a Test series. His wife Clare and their children Layton and Libby were at home during the intrusion, but thankfully, they escaped unharmed. The burglary took place on 17 October while England was competing in the second Test against Pakistan in Multan. The thieves made off with some of Stokes' most valuable possessions, prompting him to reach out to the public and law enforcement for assistance in recovering his cherished items. This traumatic experience has undoubtedly shaken Stokes and his family, highlighting the vulnerability even public figures can face when targeted by criminals. Stokes' plea for help underscores the importance of community support in times of need, and serves as a reminder of the inherent risks of fame and success.

At this point, no investigation details have been shared, although it is believed that footage of Stokes' home CCTV is with the police to help nab the culprits.

"On the evening of Thursday, 17th October, a number of masked people burgled my home in the Castle Eden area in the North East. They escaped with jewellery, other valuables and a good deal of personal items. Many of those items have real sentimental value for me and my family.They are irreplaceable. This is an appeal for any help in finding these people who carried out this act," Stokes posted on X.

"By far the worst thing about this crime is that it was carried out whilst my wife and 2 young children were in the house. Thankfully, none of my family came to any physical harm. Understandably, however, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been," he wrote further.

Stokes shared pictures of some of the stolen items. Among the stolen items, which included jewellery and a designer bag, was the medal awarded to Ben Stokes for his OBE. He received this honour in 2020 for his contributions to cricket, particularly after a memorable 2019 summer.

That year, Stokes played a pivotal role in England's ODI World Cup triumph, delivering a standout performance in the final, and later produced a miraculous display to secure victory in the Headingley Test against Australia during the Ashes.

"Although we have lost cherished possessions, to be clear, my sole motivation in sharing these photographs is not the recovery of material items. It is to catch the people who did this," Stokes wrote.

Stokes has gone through a string of personal turmoil in the last few years, losing his father, Ged, at 65, in 2020 after a prolonged battle with brain cancer. The year prior, Stokes was mentally all over the place after a leading tabloid revealed disturbing details about a certain Richard Dunn, ex-husband of Stokes' mother Debby, who shot their daughter Tracey, eight, and Andrew, four, before ending his own life.

The cowardly act undoubtedly will distract Stokes from cricket. He recently starred in England's record-breaking win in the first Test, although Pakistan took the series 2-1. The day after the burglary, Stokes batted to score 37 off 36 balls as England slumped to a 152-run defeat. England's next big upcoming tour takes place in November when they travel to New Zealand for a three-match Test series.