A TRAUMATISED pensioner who feared she would die after two masked thugs wielding a sword and machete broke into her Greenock home says she's distraught that they are still on the loose a year later.

Pauline McLetchie, 67, says she's still suffering flashbacks after the terrifying robbery last August which she says "changed her life forever".

Pauline McLetchie says she's still experiencing flashbacks a year on from the terrifying raid. (Image: George Munro)

Detectives have so far been unable to trace those responsible for the sickening break-in.

Brave Pauline, of Larkfield said: "I am still getting counselling and still see my doctor.

"I don't know what they look like because they had masks on.

"I could be walking past them in the street, I keep thinking 'is it you?'

"I think they are cowards hiding behind masks."

Pauline and her husband Gordon were asleep on the night of August 9-10 last year when they were woken by a 'massive' noise downstairs.

They jumped out of bed on to the landing to be confronted by a man wearing a balaclava and carrying a three-foot curved sword, halfway up the staircase.

Gordon managed to close the bedroom door and threw his whole body against it to keep the intruders at bay.

Gordon, 63, who runs his own building business, told the Telegraph shortly afterwards: "They kept shouting 'where is the safe, where's your money?'.

"He kept shouting 'where's your safe?' and he kept batting into the door with the sword.

"He was using full force. It was the violence of it.

"I thought I was losing my life and Pauline was going to drop dead with a heart attack.

"They came through the front door as if nothing had been there. They smashed through the door in about 15 seconds."

Pauline leaned so hard against a door that her arm was badly bruised. (Image: George Munro)

As the terrifying ordeal continued, the other masked man, wielding a machete, went into their spare room.

He smashed a chest of drawers with the weapon and also used it to strike the loft hatch.

Luckily Pauline and Gordon's next door neighbour heard the commotion and he and his wife rushed round to the couple's aid.

The thugs then ran off into a silver-coloured car and made a getaway with a three figure sum of money.

Pauline, who suffers from angina, was leaning against the door so hard to protect herself that she badly bruised her arm and lost the feeling in her hand.

She had to go to hospital afterwards to be checked over.

Despite having CCTV footage which they gave to police, and which was publicised by the Telegraph, no-one has been caught.

Pauline is appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

She said: "The police can't put their hands on them because there is no DNA evidence. They were wearing masks and gloves.

"The police's hands are tied. They can't pull somebody in without proof.

"I just wish they could be caught. I just want somebody to come forward to say they know who did this.

"I want to face them and ask them 'why?'"

Pauline said she and Gordon have been trying to rebuild their lives but it's been a very difficult 12 months.

"My confidence has gone," she admitted. 

"I go to a support group with people who have gone through trauma."

Asked if she feared the robbers might return, she replied: "I think they would have been back before this. I think they know they made a mistake the first time.

"It has affected our lives quite a bit.

"Both of us still suffer from flashbacks but we are hoping to get back to some sort of normality.

Pauline's distress was compounded by the death of her friend, former Inverclyde councillor Jim MacLeod, on August 12.

"It was a terrible time," she admitted.

"I am a friend of Jim's wife Sylvia. He was a lovely man. This happened to us and then Jim died."

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: "Enquiries have been carried out and nobody has been arrested. Any further information will be investigated thoroughly."