Police in Sadiq Khan’s London are seeking a gang of “possibly Turkish” men who broke into a family home and threatened the occupants, including children, with a machete, a rifle, and a “machine gun”.

The break-in took place shortly after midnight on Saturday, June 9th, when three men “burst into” the property in Bermondsey, south London, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.

Police say the home invaders, two described as “of Mediterranean appearance, possibly Turkish” and one as a “light-skinned black male”, were armed with a machete, a rifle, and “what was described as a machine gun”, and threatened to shoot the family of six — “including children and elderly family members” — if they did not hand over money and provide access to a safe.

Britons are not allowed to keep firearms for home defence under the country’s strict gun control laws, so break-ins while residents are at home are far more common than in the United States.

Gun crime is lower than in the U.S. overall but has been rising — jumping 42 percent in the multicultural capital between 2015-16 and 2016-17.

‘Gun Control’ in Action: Driver Riddled with Bullets in ‘Machine Gun’ Attack in Khan’s London https://t.co/VilHX5Hjn6 — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 1, 2018

“These three men entered this family’s home armed with an array of weapons, striking terror into the whole family. Two children were present at the time, and they have understandably been left traumatised by this incident,” commented DC Dave Reed, of the Met’s famous Flying Squad.

“We are unaware of a motive and would ask the community for assistance. If you have any information about this incident, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, please contact police. You will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

Police say the suspects were all slim and wearing dark clothes and balaclavas, with the two “possibly Turkish” men appearing to be in their 30s, 5’5″ and 5’7″ tall, and armed with the “large rifle” and machete, respectively.

The “light-skinned black male” was said to have been around 5’9″ and armed with the “machine gun”.

The Met is asking anyone with information to contact the Flying Squad’s detectives on 020 8345 4219, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery