Armed police stage dramatic raid on home of family who work for Jacob Rees-Mogg: Officers with a drone and sniffer dogs batter down door of couple’s Somerset house and ‘seize a firearm’
- Avon and Somerset Police raided the family home of Donna and Andy Coles
- A drone was deployed near the home and sniffer dogs searched inside
- Police arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of possessing a firearm
- The Coles family have ties to Rees-Mogg and have babysat for him in the past
Police in riot gear searching for firearms have raided the family home of Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg‘s staff.
Armed officers used a battering ram to smash through the front door of the family home of Donna Coles, 49, and husband Andy, 57, on Thursday.
A drone was also deployed over fields near to the home which is less than a mile from Rees-Mogg’s country estate, while sniffer dogs searched the semi-detached property, The Sun reported.
Mrs Coles (pictured above with her husband) confirmed the raid took place but said ‘The police have got it all wrong’
Armed police raided the family home of Mr and Mrs Coles (pictured above) on Thursday. Mrs Coles’ own mother claimed Mr Rees-Mogg ‘knows the family’ and that they have previously babysat for him
Mrs Coles confirmed the raid – which saw a man arrested and a firearm seized – took place.
The family has links to House of Commons leader Rees-Mogg and have babysat for some of his children before. Their own son cleans and gardens at the Grade II listed manor house in Somerset.
Mrs Coles’ mother said Rees-Mogg knows the family and had taken their son ‘under his wing’.
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed a 26-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm.
A spokesman said: ‘We executed a search warrant at a property yesterday at about 3pm. This was following information received relating to weapons at the property.
‘One man was arrested and he has been released under investigation.
‘Items have been seized and are still to be examined. Firearms officers attended as a precaution and the police drone was also used during the operation. Enquiries are continuing.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg is pictured above with six of his seven children. Mrs Coles’ mother said the leader of the House of Commons had taken the famliy’s youngest ‘under his wing’
Officers closed a road for eight hours while searching another address and they were later seen taking bags of evidence away.
One neighbour said: ‘It was terrifying. All of a sudden there were armed police everywhere and they were shouting at people to get inside their houses.
‘One of them got a battering ram and smashed their front door in and ran inside.
‘I could hear them shouting at them from my garden. Donna was very pally with Jacob’s old housekeeper so was able to get some of the kids in to help with odd tasks at the estate.’
One neighbour said that Mrs Coles, pictured above with Mr Coles, was ‘very pally with Jacob’s old housekeeper’
Mrs Coles’ mother Sheila Poingdestre, 74, told The Sun: ‘Donna’s youngest does a couple of hours every week for Jacob Rees-Mogg, he cleans for him and does bits in the garden, mows the lawn, that sort of thing.
‘He has taken him under his wing. Jacob knows the family. They have babysat for him but very rarely.
‘It’s a village, everybody does favours for one another.’
Mrs Coles, who has posted photos on social media pulling gun poses with her husband, said: ‘It’s complete rubbish. The police have got it all wrong.’
Mr Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons, was contacted for comment.