A FAMILY is offering a £1,000 reward to catch vandals who attacked their house while they slept.

Craig Brown, 25, and Michelle Whatley, 19, were in bed with their baby daughter when a brick was thrown through their bedroom window at 1am on Saturday.

Large shards of glass from the rear bedroom window shattered over their bed and almost hit ten-month-old Ebonie Mai.

The glass landed on the pillow and only missed the couple because they sat up when they heard neighbour Emma Smith knocking on the front door.

Ms Smith, 24, had called to tell the couple that vandals had smashed the windows of the family's two cars outside their home on The Brooms, in Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

Miss Whatley said: "It was terrifying because if Emma had not called, we would still have been asleep and one of the pieces of glass would have split my head open.

"She saved our lives. I haven't been sleeping since.

"We are so scared we have been staying with friends. This could have been a murder investigation.

"We do not feel safe here any more, so we are selling up and moving out."

Mr Brown cut his foot when he jumped on the bed to see what had happened, but could not see who had thrown the missile.

The couple are offering the reward to urge people with information to go to police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Chester-le-Street police on 0191-386 4929.