A gun-toting gang put two seniors in fear of their lives during a burglary in the middle of the afternoon.

As one masked man restrained a woman by her wrist, another aimed a gun at the other woman's forehead. He then took her wallet and left the house.

The men concealed their faces with bandannas and struck the Devonshire property shortly after 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday. Police believe a third man was also acting as a lookout.

Yesterday, 67-year-old Judith Mello and Jeanette Moniz, 72, described their ordeal as detectives continued to search for the perpetrators.

Mrs. Mello said: "I tried to remain calm because I thought the man might shoot me. My husband Vernon just died eight months ago and my girls [daughters Vicki and Torri-lynn] don't need to go through anything like that.

"As it was happening I thought of my husband and God, and thought they were watching over me. I almost felt like Vernon was saying, 'Keep your big mouth shut, you're going to get hurt'.

"It was a frightening experience. Although I tried to remain calm, today I feel quite shaken up and weak. In the daytime you really don't expect something like this to happen it was just so brazen."

The gang approached Mrs. Mello's housekeeper, Mrs. Moniz, as she arrived at the property, snatching the house keys out of her hands.

As one man restrained her by the wrist, another let himself into the house and entered the bedroom, where Mrs. Mello was on the telephone.

"I was just talking to my daughter Vicki when the door opened and a man walked in," said Mrs. Mello.

"He was very tall and thin, and had a green bandanna over his nose and mouth.

"The only thing I could see was his eyes. He looked vacant, sad almost, and had a gun in his hand. I wasn't sure if it was real but I wasn't going to take a chance.

"I said, 'What are you doing in here?'. He was only a foot away from me and he aimed the gun at my forehead. Then he put his hand in my purse and took out my wallet.

"I was mad. I told him, 'Just get out of my house', but I was afraid to snatch the wallet back.

"I saw another man standing at the bedroom door. Then the man turned around and walked out of the house."

Mrs. Mello said: "It was a shock. Gun crime in Bermuda is something which concerns me very much it seems to be getting out of control."

Mrs. Moniz, also of Devonshire, told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "One man grabbed me by the wrist and the other went into the house. He really bruised me.

"He wore a camouflage bandanna and didn't say anything, he just looked at me blankly."

She said: "I have never been so scared in all my life. I was shouting for help but no one was around as people were at work."

Mrs. Moniz's daughter Cheryl Moulder criticised the Police for the length of time it allegedly took to respond to the incident.

She claims a neighbour called 911 "40 minutes" before officers actually arrived at the scene.

"When I got to the house everyone was in shock and I said, 'Where the hell are the Police?'. When they did eventually arrive I can only describe their attitude as nonchalant. However, CID were very compassionate and caring," she said.

"The Police response was just not quick enough for an incident where you've got two senior citizens dealing with a gun."

A Bermuda Police Service spokesman said yesterday: "Inquiries into this incident are underway. Police are appealing for any witnesses to this incident or anyone with any information to contact the Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit on 295-0011 or the confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477."