“I felt this hand on my shoulder, thinking it was Roland waking me up”
06:48, 18 Feb 2026Updated 09:31, 18 Feb 2026
Roman Road, Royton
A traumatised elderly couple have described the moment they were woken up by a “calm” burglar who stole their wallets and demanded they drink a “black liquid” as he held two knives.
Maureen Parkisson, was the first to see the intruder after he disturbed her from her sleep by tapping her shoulder as she lay next to her husband, Roland.
Panic stricken and startled, Maureen says that she spoke to the hooded man, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket and gloves when he entered their home on Roman Road, Royton, at around 5am on Tuesday (February 10).
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“I felt this hand on my shoulder, thinking it was Roland waking me up,“ she told the M.E.N.
“I saw his face, he had a hi-vis jacket on, he had gloves on and a hood. I said, ‘what do you want?!’ And he said ‘I’m working outside. I said, ‘at 5am in the morning? I don’t think so!’”
The 79-year-old grandmother says that the man went on to demand that the pair handover their bank cards and drink a “black liquid” which he had brought with him. She says the intruder also pointed two breadknives at the couple, which he had procured from the their kitchen.
According to Roland, the intruder poured the black liquid into an empty glass that was found on the bedside table and told Roland to drink it, which he sipped before spitting it out immediately.
“He said to Roland ‘this’ll make you sleep,'” Maureen explained, before adding.
The couple, who have been together for 50 years, described the burglar’s demeanour throughout the 15-minute incident as “calm” and said that he talked in a “softly spoken” manner when he asked for the couple’s bank cards and their PIN number.
Speaking about the affect it has had on them, Roland said: “I keep seeing him, it keeps replaying in my head.”
Maureen added: “I just see his face all the time now, he was only a young chap. He looked between 20-40 years old. We’re still in shock, we take so long to go to bed now.
“I’ve had a horrible year, I broke my hip, my daughter has been in hospital. I keep thinking when is it going to finish.
“It’s horrible, we’ve been in this house since 1986 and we have never had any problems.”
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that the intruder stole wallets and demanded PIN numbers whilst holding two of the victims’ kitchen knives. The police also say that he took their phones.
The suspect was described as a black male of large build, approximately 6ft tall, with big curly hair and dressed in all black with a yellow high‑visibility gilet.
Officers believe an individual may be deliberately targeting elderly residents in the Royton area and suspect that the incident is linked to another burglary which took place at Mellalieu Street due to the similar description of the offender.
Police said that in both cases, there was no sign of forced entry and that it is believed the offender gained access through front doors that had been closed but left unlocked.
Detective Chief Inspector Zahid Latif from Oldham CID said: “We are taking this extremely seriously. Neighbourhood officers are carrying out increased patrols in the area, and Oldham Council and Adult Social Care have been fully briefed.
“Our enquiries are well underway to locate and identify the man responsible for intimidating and committing these horrific crimes against vulnerable members of our community. GMP will not tolerate this behaviour.
“Detectives will be relentless in their search for this offender, and we will use every resource available to bring him into custody. We are here to keep people safe, and that is exactly what we intend to do.
“I want to remind everyone to ensure their windows and doors are locked, even when at home, and to support elderly neighbours or relatives who may feel unsettled at this time. If anyone has any information at all, no matter how small it may seem, please contact us on 101, use GMP LiveChat quoting log 39 of 16/02/2026 or call 999 in an emergency.”