A TERRIFIED mother has told how she feared for her family's safety after a stranger forced his way into her home.

Geraldine Bradshaw said she thought she and her two children were going to be attacked in the frightening incident yesterday afternoon.

Ms Bradshaw, aged 50, of Chapel Street, Pontnewydd, was cooking the family tea at around 4.45pm when her 12-year-old daughter called to her that someone was outside their house.

She said: "Victoria saw a man acting strangely near our garage so I told him to go away. "He just came towards me and pushed open the front door before I could lift the handle to lock it."

As he forced his way past her, the frightened mum screamed at the man to get out of her home - and then shouted to her 14-year-old son Scott, who was upstairs, to warn him. She said: "He just pushed me back with force and said something which I didn't understand. I could smell the drink on him, I was terrified."

She shouted at Scott to call the police and could only watch in horror as the intruder stumbled upstairs.

"I didn't know what he was going to do to us," she said. "It is the most frightened I've ever been."

As soon as the intruder was upstairs Ms Bradshaw dialled 999 for the police. She said: "I was shouting down the phone for help. And with that he realised I was talking to the police and ran out of the house. I locked the door and grabbed my children.

"It happened so quickly and we couldn't believe what had happened." She added: "I am glad that he didn't do anything more serious."

The frightened family watched as officers arrested a man shortly afterwards. Sergeant Steve Woolway, of Cwmbran, told the Argus that officers were on the scene within minutes.

He said: "This is a very strange and nasty case. "A man was seen trying to go into two other homes after the first incident."

He added that a man was detained overnight and was due to be interviewed by detectives today.

*PICTURED: Geraldine Bradshaw says daughter Victoria noticed the man acting strangely near their garage.