Three people were injured and hospitalised after a fight between tourists and farmers in the Paphos district on Sunday.

The incident occurred around 4.30pm when 20 people travelling in 10 off-road vehicles in a rural area were approached by a 54-year-old farmer and his 23-year-old employee.

The farmer allegedly shouted at the people who had parked their vehicles, complaining that they were causing damage.

He is also said to have hit one of them on the hand with a stick.

The man and his employee reportedly threw stones at the vehicles, damaging two of them.

The farmer then allegedly drove his car into one of the vehicles, injuring the driver’s pelvis and leg.

The 23-year-old is accused of throwing a stone at one of the drivers, hitting his head.

The injured man, in an attempted to get away, collided with a parked tractor and his vehicle overturned.

Both the driver and his passenger were taken to Paphos general hospital where they were treated for various injuries.

The 74-year-old father of the farmer who was at the scene was also taken to hospital as a precaution. He sustained bruises to his chest which he said were from being hit by members of the group.

Police arrested the farmer and his employee.

Dynamic action will be taken to oppose a decision taken by the mayor of Paphos and the municipal council on Monday evening to back a proposal to construct a cathedral in the gardens of the town hall.
This decision has also resulted in the Paphos Green party withdrawing their support for Mayor Phedonas Phedonos, according to Andreas Evlavis, Paphos Green Party secretary.

“We are very disappointed in this decision, for us it’s corruption. Paphos is just like it was before, nothing has changed and we are disappointed in the mayor for not keeping his promise and reneging on it,” Evlavis told the Cyprus Mail.

He said he was referencing a pre-election promise by the mayor to save the garden.

The municipal council had rejected the proposal by a majority vote earlier this month, (12 against, 7 in favour and one proposed a people’s referendum). However, the issue was brought back for discussion at the request of Edek councillor Vassos Demetriou.

“Edek wanted the matter to be reconsidered after the Bishop sent a letter confirming that he would reconsider the original request and alter some aspects.”

Demetriou changed his mind after the bishop said he would accept the cathedral being built anywhere in the garden and will discuss the size and design of the structure to blend in with neoclassical buildings in the area.

However, Evlavis added that at present only a 1 per cent building allowance is permitted in the area. A petition opposed to the cathedral started by Paphos residents has already garnered close to 1,500 signatures.

The disagreement began after the public gardens were returned to the owners, the Church, when a long-term agreement expired in 2005. The Church had rented it to the municipality on a long lease and instead of continuing the agreement, as the municipality had hoped, the Church expressed a desire to build a cathedral on the grounds instead.

The bishop expressed his intent to apply for a building permit to use one third of the space to create a new cathedral (around 730 square metres) in exchange for giving the municipality two thirds of the garden. A similar application was turned down in 2010.

Evlavis said that opposition to the construction of a Cathedral in the only public garden in the heart of Paphos is massive and that the petition would enforce actions that will be announced soon, to apply pressure to change the decision.

Paphos councillor Andreas Chrysanthou, who voted in favour of the Cathedral at both recent meetings, said that the public who turned up at the town hall on Monday were around four to one in favour of the cathedral.

However, he noted that the municipality holds the power to veto any application that does not take into account assurances given by the Bishop in a letter to Edek and made in person at the council vote, that compromises would be made.

“This is not the final chapter. If the Archbishop’s drawings or master plan for approval are not according to his promises to the council, then we may not give the building licence.”

He said this could include the size, or if any other issues pertaining to the environment are violated. “We reserve the right to say no.”

He explained that Monday’s decision was just the first step towards obtaining a building permit. The bishop will also have to get permission from the Derogations Council, as he is applying for relaxations, and the Cabinet in order to obtain a building permit

Evlavis said: “The mayor lied and there is no reason for the Greens to support him any longer. He has also cut down many old trees around Paphos.”

Evlavis said that the opposition group,’ of which he is a committee member, would now hold a meeting to decide what action to take and give hope to the people who have seen their local politicians ‘sell out.’

The petition: https://www.change.org

With the promise of summer just around the corner, thoughts turn to beach life, al fresco dining and venues with a view. Step in the recently revamped Baracas lounge on the Chlorakas seafront, which with some of the best cocktails in Paphos comes highly recommended.

Opened in 2016, it closed during the winter for a spruce up and has just re-opened with a new menu and drinks list.

This is a fantastic all-day space, open every day from 9am, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Currently closing at around 10.30pm, from May, it will open until 1.30am.

Ample outdoor seating is shaded and provides one of the best spots on the island to admire a stunning view.

At night, soft lighting in turquoise and blue mimics the sea, and white tables with comfortable colourful chairs add to the stylish interior.

A good selection of food and beverages have been carefully chosen and service is casual, friendly and warm. This is a premium location, and the prices reflect that, but it’s worth it for the ambience and overall experience.

A selection of delicious and refreshing fresh juices priced at €5 are made to order and include pineapple, orange and strawberry.

All sorts of new cocktails have been added this year, some with tongue in cheek monikers, such as a delicious tequila-based Mango Divorce. Signature cocktails are around €8.50 while ‘classic’ cocktails, such as mojito, daiquiri and margarita are €7. All are perfect and made with top ingredients.

A good variety of local wines, beers, coffees, teas and soft drinks are also available.

Luxury ice cream, brownies, waffles, lava and carrot cake all hit the spot and if Shisha  (hookah), is your thing, around 12 flavours of tobacco, including orange, kiwi, blueberry, strawberry and watermelon are offered at €20.

All sorts of events and happenings are planned for the coming months including DJ sets, live music and a beer festival. Private events such as small weddings can also be held here.

Baracas is a superb venue and is only getting better as time goes by.

Baracas

Where: Baracas Lounge, 129, Leoforos Chlorokas, Paphos

When: Open 7 days a week 9am-1.30 am

Contact: 99 082363, Facebook – Baracas lounge

Price: Classic cocktail €7, Signature Cocktail €8.50, Wine glass €5, Baracas breakfast €7.50

A 67-year-old Briton was killed on Friday after he was hit by a car, which reportedly veered onto the pavement on Poseidonos Avenue in Paphos.

The incident happened at around 2.20pm while the man, who was in Cyprus on holiday, was taking a walk along the main coastal road in Paphos.

Reports said a car, which was apparently speeding, veered off course and went onto the pavement, hitting the tourist.

He was rushed to Paphos general hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police arrested the 22-year-old Greek Cypriot driver who was breathalysed. The results came back negative.

Police are investigating the exact circumstances that caused him to leave the road.

The Roman mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world, but the visitor experience is lacking

By Bejay Browne

THE Antiquities Department is looking at ways to improve the visitors’ experience at ancient sites in Paphos, including a much-needed upgrade to the visitors’ centre and gift shop at the Unesco-protected world heritage site.

Well-stocked gift shops, with themed items suitable for all ages and budgets, are huge money earners at most ancient sites in Europe and inevitably become part of the reason for visiting an ancient monument. They often include pieces by local craftspeople and artisans.

In terms of the sites themselves, interactive displays and visual and audio guides help bring to life and explain often complex and confusing history.

Inside the Paphos mosaics (Bejay Browne)

The Paphos Unesco park includes the remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs: all of exceptional architectural and historic value.

The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world. Its gift shop is not, consisting of a small waist height glass-topped display case with a few books inside and a couple of cases selling only a handful of items.

“Tasteful gifts would be hugely popular, and my seven-year-old wanted to spend her pocket money and buy something for her grandma at home in the UK as a gift from Cyprus, but there really isn’t anything suitable here,” Anne Clarke, from Peterborough in the UK, told the Sunday Mail after a visit to the mosaics earlier this week.

A Dutch couple lamented the lack of technology to help visitors understand what they are seeing.

“We are interested in the archaeological sites, but things could be better, clearer visually and better explained for foreigners,” they said. “It would be nice if it was more interactive.”

Oleksander Oliynyk and his partner, both from the Ukraine, enjoyed the overall experience of the Unesco park, in particular the mosaics. However, they also mentioned the lack of items to purchase relating to the sites.

Couple watch film in the visitor centre (Bejay Browne)

“We have travelled a lot and it would be nice if there was some use of technology for example, to explain things better, it could be both visual and audio,” he said.

Opinions such as these will soon be taken into account by the Antiquities Department a spokesman said. Visitors will be given questionnaires to fill in asking for their opinion, impression and suggestions for the site.

The ideas will then be carefully assessed and considered.

A typical sign with an explanation of a section of mosaics

Recently, the antiquities department announced it was collaborating with the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles to develop a comprehensive management plan for Nea Paphos and the Tombs of the Kings sites.

“The management plan will incorporate preservation, interpretation of the sites, visualisation and protection and generally enhance the visitor experience,” the spokesman said.

“We will work towards doing what we can to improve and enhance, but also to ensure the sites and experiences are not too commercialised and that authenticity is sustained, but we are only a small team,” she said.

A visit to the mosaics mid-week indicated clearly how popular some simple changes would prove to be.

Despite unpredictable weather conditions, the site was busy and numerous hopeful visitors entered the existing visitors’ centre and gift shop, but ended up only giving a cursory glance at the meagre display on offer.

“There’s nothing really here to buy,” one British woman remarked to her husband.

Another couple sat down on chairs provided to watch a film about the wonders of the area, but the woman banged her head on the metal staircase overhead as she sat down.

The centre, although beautifully and sympathetically constructed in stone, is unwelcoming and sterile. Boards on the walls depicting some of the sites offer a minimal, technical explanation.

Jean Dalgetty and friend Margret Turvey are in their 70s and both from Essex in the UK. Jean is a frequent visitor to Cyprus and to the archaeological sites.

She laments that the visitors’ centre doesn’t really amount to much. The pair would have bought items if they were available; something relevant, like a ‘nice pair of earrings created using mosaic’.

Jean Dalgetty (left) and friend Margret Turvey (Bejay Browne)

“I would really like something simple like that. I don’t understand why they are selling the bits of jewellery they have on display currently though, it makes no sense. They have no connection to here.”

While they would welcome improvements, especially for older visitors who find the slopes difficult to manage particularly without hand rails, Jean said the present experience is far better than it used to be.

“It has got better here over the last ten to fifteen years. It used to be everybody scrambling all over everything and walking all over things,” said Jean.

Both agreed that any future modernisation needed to be undertaken sensitively.

“It’s very nice here. It shouldn’t be modernised too much as it just wouldn’t be the same. We don’t want it to be more ‘Disney’, but it would be nice to know a little more,” said Margaret.

Both suggested that commentaries and models of what the sites would have looked like and what the houses were used for in the visitors’ centre would be useful.

“It would make it come alive.”

The Antiquities Department spokeswoman explained that part of the collaboration with Getty will include making use of technology, such as mapping the sites, assessing the condition of mosaics and remains as well as improving the management and presentation of the sites.

She said there is much debate, generally, about how ancient sites and monuments should be presented and how far to use technological advances.

She said that the financial crisis meant all the department’s resources had to focus on the preservation and protection of the sites.

“This has been our priority,” she said.

Whilst the objectives of the new collaboration are wide-ranging, the main aim is to bring more visitors to the sites.

“The gift shops and visitor centres are an issue to look at, but we don’t know how that will be addressed yet as we have only just started the management plan,” she said.

They might not want to wait too long.

Tony Clarkson and wife Debbie, in their 50s, from the UK are holidaying in Cyprus for the first time emerged from the visitors’ centre describing it as a ‘bland experience.’

“The film playing was not really engaging and there isn’t much to look at in there or much explanation. The choice of gifts is minimal and rather sad looking, it put me off,” he said.

The manager of a hotel in Paphos spent hours on the roof of his establishment threatening to jump on Tuesday after the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot properties decided to reallocate an adjacent premise he was leasing as extra space.

Police and members of the force’s negotiating team were on the scene almost until 5pm when he was convinced to come down.

The man climbed on the roof at around 7.30am after members of the administration went to the hotel in the morning to take possession of the establishments in question.

The man, who runs a hotel in the city centre, had leased some Turkish Cypriot properties next to his premises.

According to an announcement from the Paphos municipality, the interior ministry which manages Turkish Cypriot properties leased the space to the local authorities, which have now reclaimed it.

The man took the interior minister and the Paphos municipality to court seeking a reversal of the decision but his request was rejected last week. The court ruled that his claim that the repossession of the property would cause irreparable damage to his business was not proven.

The municipality aims to redevelop the space and construct in the area a covered square to support surrounding shop owners who also lease Turkish Cypriot establishments and encourage growth of the restaurant businesses. It said that it will not be earning any proceeds from this project but rather it will spend a substantial amount on the redevelopment.

The director of the department for the management of Turkish Cypriot properties in Paphos, Maria Savvidou, said that the eviction was being done by the book.

Savvidou said that the space in question has now been given to the Paphos municipality and that contracts have already been signed with the local authority.

The service, she said, had launched legal action against the man over damage to the Turkish Cypriot property he was using.

The Paphos cat lady has made a desperate plea for help from volunteers after a bad fall has left her incapacitated and unable to look after the one hundred and sixty or so strays she feeds and cares for every day in the old town.

Gaynor Georgiou, 74, is better known by her moniker and urgently needs one or more volunteers that could give up a couple of hours a day to take over her feeding duties until she is on her feet again, she said.

The cat lover has become a regular sight around Paphos and is popular with both locals and visitors who admire her love and care of the towns cat population.

On Saturday, whilst undertaking her usual daily round to feed the felines, 20 or so rushed towards her and the food bucket, getting under her feet and tripping her up.

“I went down hard, smacking my knee on the ground. I was lying in the street and had to call a friend who came and took me to hospital,” she told the Cyprus Mail.

Georgiou is distraught at the thought of the cats of the town being left without food or care as she has formed a strong bond with all of them through the years. To make matters worse, from the bedroom window of her nearby flat in the old town, she can see groups of them gathering to wait for her arrival.

She is particularly concerned, as a number of the cats are partially sighted or blind.

“I never thought this would happen to me at my age. I am usually so active all of the time and out and about.”

Georgiou met her husband in London when she was 16 years old, married him and moved to Paphos. Since her husband died a few years ago, she credits the cats with keeping her going.

They give her a reason to get up and leave the house every morning, every day, whatever the weather, she said.

An X Ray revealed that she has a fractured knee and badly damaged it in the fall and will visit a specialist on Wednesday, who will carry out further tests to see what course of action will be taken, she said.

Georgiou lives in a block of flats with no lift and is currently bed bound as she is unable to make the trip up and down the staircase.

“I feel very cut off and depressed. Many of my friends are elderly and can’t make it up the stairs and no-one seems to care about the cats. I can’t do a thing, I just really need some help,” she said.

If more than one person steps forward to help her, daily visits to the established feeding spots could be split between them, said Georgiou, who has food for the cats, but added that donations of food are always welcome.

She spends most of her modest pension on cat food each month and the cats rush to greet her when she appears.

Just over a year ago, a local businessman, David Mitchell, donated a car so that she is able to continue her rounds. Her supporters also set up a dedicated website, where people can donate towards the upkeep and welfare of the cats.

In the morning, her daily round starts at the side of now defunct E and S supermarket building where she feeds 12 or so cats and then the other five spots are all in one area, in an area that runs from the Agapinor hotel up to the mosque in Moutallos. These are within walking distance of each other, she said.

All in all, she is feeding in excess of 160 cats and kittens, and rather than the situation improving, increasing numbers of stray and unwanted cats are being dumped in Paphos town, she said.

“As people get to know me, they will just dump cats and kittens in boxes at my feeding spots. It’s been a nightmare- in the last six months the number is really going up.”

In the past couple of months, boxes of cats and kittens were dumped, left for her to find. She takes them to animal charities in Paphos to help as she is unable to look after them all.

She also takes as many cats as she can to be spayed or neutered at Animal Rescue Cyprus, as part of their catch and release programme.

“I hope that I don’t need a new knee and they can fix me, this is so frustrating and I really hope people will come forward and help.”

www.paphoscatlady.com

Gaynor, Cat Lady 97673986

The heart of Paphos old town has been upgraded and now provides great accessibility for pedestrians wandering the narrow streets and alleyways. And one of the best established restaurants here is Laona, found hidden away down one of these passageways.

Laona is a family-run, traditional Cypriot restaurant and an excellent example of local hospitality and home-cooked food.

Set down a newly-paved, gently sloping street, Laona has seating available both outside and inside a lovely old building and is predominately a lunchtime eatery although they are open all day on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is essential to book for dinner.

Food is hearty, fresh and flavourful and created with love and pride as recipes have been passed down the generations. Laona’s vision is to serve regular and new customers authentic Cypriot cooking with well-honed dishes that reflect the change of seasons and highlight the best of what’s fresh and available.

A Saturday morning stroll resulted in my companion and I deciding, on the spur of the moment, to drop into Laona for lunch. I have been coming here for years and turning the corner the familiar and enticing smell of local herbs and spices wafted down to meet us. Thankfully, as this is a busy place, we were lucky enough to find a table.

The welcome here is always warm, and greetings made we moved inside as a black sky threatened. We settled down on traditional Cypriot chairs (which thankfully have cushions for comfort) at a wooden table covered with a checked table cloth. I always feel as if I’m in the Cyprus of my youth at this venue.

The menu is written in different coloured chalk on a large blackboard which is brought to our table and each dish explained, in detail, as it’s read out. Dishes are made fresh on a daily basis, so don’t expect all of the ten or so choices to be available if you turn up for a late lunch.

Most of the dishes are priced at €10, although black eyed beans were €8. A meal and an accompanying salad is chalked up at €12 and a special meze €17.

The aromas from the kitchen are tantalizing and it’s a busy service as usual, but we don’t have to wait too long. Sliced local bread is brought to the table and there are a number of good quality wines from local boutique wineries, such as Vasilikon and Ezousa, available to order by the glass, or in a carafe or bottle.

I decided on the peas with lamb, as the octopus casserole had already sold out. Our food arrives on white china, plated in a basic way, but the taste and quality of the dishes are superb and the delicate use of spices and herbs consummate.

Succulent pieces of lamb, with peas and carrots, potatoes and tomato really hit the spot, this is comfort food at its very best.

My companion is delighted with the rabbit stifado which is packed full of perfectly cooked shallots that give the rabbit a wonderful taste and sweetness. The meat falls off the bones and is tender and bursting with flavour.

Fish in the oven, meatballs, marinated pork in wine and coriander, stuffed oven roasted vegetables, beef stew with vegetables, moussaka, chicken stew and fried lamb’s liver were also on the board.

A delicious slice of complimentary homemade cake was brought to the table which is well paired with a traditional Cyprus coffee to finish off the meal.

The staff are truly hospitable and ensure that the ambience here is just right. I always find it calming, welcoming, relaxing and pleasurable, a hard mix to get right but they do.

Laona offers Cyprus at its best and is hugely popular with both locals and visitors who long for an authentic Cypriot experience. Happily they are not disappointed.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY Traditional Cyprus dishes

WHERE Laona Restaurant, Votsi Street, Paphos Old Town

WHEN Monday to Saturday 11am-3pm, Tuesday and Friday open all day until 9pm

CONTACT 99 541249

HOW MUCH Main course €10

A protest against the creation of a new Cathedral to be built in Paphos town hall gardens was held Thursday evening. The contentious issue was the first item slated to be discussed at Thursday night’s council meeting, according to authorities.

“We will discuss this matter this evening and apparently, even though we had information that the state had found a solution to exchange the municipal garden, which belongs to the Church, with land in Larnaca and we understood that this had been settled, apparently now the agreement has been overturned,” Paphos councillor, Andreas Chrysanthou told the Cyprus Mail on Thursday afternoon.

The protest against a new cathedral being built on the central garden was organised by concerned citizens and supported by the Paphos Green Party outside the town hall.

Andreas Evlavis, secretary of the Paphos Greens said that they are opposed to the idea of building anything on this space, which should be available for use by the public.

“This argument has been going on for far too long and the space is run down and not cared for. It needs to be looked after and made possible for people to visit and not run down as it is now,” he said.

He added that as the only green space in the middle of Paphos, the gardens should remain as such, noting that as the Church owns many other plots around Paphos, they are able to build a new place of worship ‘anywhere.’

Evlavis added that the Greens were calling for a referendum as that the public may decide if they wish a Cathedral to built on the space or not, as this is the democratic way.

This view is being supported by some of the town’s councillors, he added.

Chrysanthou confirmed this, although he said that the subject was now rather more complicated.

“It’s a complex issue. Some of the councillors favour a local referendum, and others have opposing views, it’s a real mixture,” he said.

The disagreement began after the public gardens were returned to the owners, the Church, when a long-term agreement expired in 2005. The church had rented it to the municipality on a long lease and instead of continuing the agreement, as the municipality had hoped, the Church expressed a desire to build a cathedral on the grounds instead.

It was thought that the matter had been resolved and in October 2016, Mayor of Paphos, Phedonas Phedonos, posted on his personal Facebook page: “Good news! A big story of the city is resolved permanently. In agreement with the church and the state, the public garden becomes public property with an exchange. With respect and without fanfare, we managed to understand each other.”

However, this is all now up in the air, said Chrysathou, following the Bishop of Paphos expressing his desire to use one third of the space to create a new cathedral (of around 730 square metres) in exchange for giving the municipality two thirds of the garden.

The councillor added that the municipality was also facing a civil court case, the first hearing of which is scheduled for June 1, as the Church is claiming that the garden area is valued at €26.1m but that this has been slashed by stipulations put in place by the municipality.

“They are saying that as we limited the building co-efficient to one per cent in this area, it has devalued the land,” he said.
Chryasanthou noted that ten years ago, the municipality also had an evaluation undertaken which valued the grounds at €16.8m.

“Even if the parties met in the middle, who would pay the colossal amount of money, how could the municipality manage that.”
Evlavis added that the Church was not a business and is supposed to be there to serve the citizens.

The rejection on Thursday night by Paphos municipal council of a proposal to build a new cathedral in the gardens of the town hall, is likely to see the matter ultimately put before the council of ministers, a local councillor said on Friday.

Paphos council voted by a majority against the proposal to build a new cathedral at Thursday night’s meeting.

Paphos councillor, Andreas Chrysanthou, told the Cyprus Mail on Friday that the council vote was in the majority against accepting the Bishop of Paphos’ intention to submit an application for a town planning licence.

“Seven councillors, including me, voted for the intention and one proposed a people’s referendum on the subject,” he said. Twelve voted against.

The contentious issue has been rumbling on for years and the council previously believed that the state had found a solution to exchange the municipal garden, which belongs to the Church, with land in Larnaca back in 2016.

Chrysanthou noted that the council understood that this had been settled, but apparently not, as the Bishop again put forward a proposal for a new cathedral, he said.

Recently, the Bishop of Paphos expressed his intent to apply for a building permit to use one third of the space to create a new cathedral (of around 730 square metres) in exchange for giving the municipality two thirds of the garden.

The matter will now go before a special committee that will decide independently if the application will be accepted, but a similar application was turned down in 2010, noted Chrysanthou.

“It will then go before the council of ministers for their decision, which is final. I don’t know how they will vote. My belief is that there won’t be a church built here, but you never know,” he said.

Andreas Evlavis, the secretary of the Paphos green party, said they are opposed to the idea of building anything on this space. The Greens say it should be available for use by the public. Evlavis took part in a public demonstration at the town hall on Thursday evening during the council meeting.

He said that around one hundred concerned citizens, many of them young people, had turned up to add their voice to the opposition of creating a Cathedral in the park.

“It filled me with hope to see so many of the younger generation at the demo and showing they care about their town. I believe it made the councillors think more about which way they were voting,” he said.

The disagreement began after the public gardens were returned to the owners, the Church, when a long-term agreement expired in 2005. The church had rented it to the municipality on a long lease and instead of continuing the agreement, as the municipality had hoped, the Church expressed a desire to build a cathedral on the grounds instead.

He added that the vote was important as the garden is the only green space in the middle of Paphos and should remain as such. He noted that as the Church owns many other plots around Paphos, they are able to build a new place of worship ‘anywhere.’

The next step, he said, is to upgrade the gardens and create a space that the public will want to visit, as at present it has been left and is like a dead space.

“It needs to be made into an area where people want to spend time, with things for children to play on and to attract people as it did before,” he said.

Gold, jewellery and a collection of coins were reported stolen from a house in Emba on Saturday night.

According to the police, the owner of the house reported that unknown people broke into the house between 7 and 11pm on Saturday and stole several pieces of men’s and women’s jewellery in addition to five albums that contained a collection of coins and notes from different countries.

The exact value of what has been taken is yet to be calculated.

Police visited the scene and removed various pieces of evidence.

From initial examinations it appears the burglars got in and out by forcing open an aluminium window in one of the bedrooms.