Father confronted by axe-wielding burglars - but police are too busy to turn up for THREE hours

But instead of the immediate response he expected, the police told him: "We're too busy to help."

Within minutes, the burglars drove off with a haul of stolen property.

Scroll down for more...

Officers only turned up at the family's home three hours later. By then all they could do was take statements.

The burglary happened shortly after 11pm last Tuesday.

Mr Sims, 24, heard his dog barking then noticed the kitchen light flicker on downstairs.

He pushed open the door and was confronted by eight intruders, wearing balaclavas. One had an axe.

He slammed the door shut - and was hit by flying glass as one raider swung the weapon at him, smashing the pane.

Mr Sims ran upstairs to Sarah Barham and their children Lewis, six, and Macey, five. They barricaded themselves in a bedroom and held the door shut.

"Thankfully, the men didn't come upstairs, but I was worried about my children's safety," said Mr Sims.

"The minute we knew these people were in the house we rang the police, but they said it would be at least half an hour before they could come out."

The burglars' haul included a PlayStation 3, a sat-nav device, a wireless internet router, mobile phones and 24- year- old Miss Barham's bag, keys and bank cards.

Mr Sims, who lives in Arnold, near Nottingham, added: "Nobody from the police had turned up half an hour later, and when we rang again they said there was no one they could send.

Scroll down for more...

"They said officers around the area were looking for the cars we had described and anyone suspicious, but we didn't see one police car come past.

"Then we had a call to say no one could come out to see us that night and we should get our heads down and someone would be there in the morning.

"We were kicking up a fuss, asking why no one could come when we had had people in our house. I ended up putting the phone down in frustration."

At 2.30am, officers arrived at the house to take statements.

Yesterday, Chief Inspector Andy Burton of Nottinghamshire Police said in a statement: "On this occasion the way control-room staff dealt with this incident fell way short of the standard I expect.

"The force has apologised to the family by way of letter and I personally have contacted the family this morning.

"An investigation is being carried to find out why there was not an immediate response and any findings will be shared with the family."

Mr Sims, 24, who lives only a mile from a police station, said: "I told the police I could have had my head cut off. But still no one came.

"We need to feel safe in our home. We couldn't sleep afterwards. It took a couple of days to feel okay."

Miss Barham said: "They should have responded and made us a priority, not turned up three hours later.

"I'm scared to go to the shops on my own now. I keep thinking what would have happened if Mat hadn't been here."

Nottingham was recently named Britain's burglary capital.

House burglary levels in the city are 63 per cent above the national average, according to a league table which is compiled from insurance records of areas where a homeowner is most likely to experience a break-in.