Two women foiled an attempted burglary by forcing a front door shut as a man armed with a gun tried to force his way in.
Police are appealing for information after the attempted aggravated burglary in a Hampton home on the afternoon of November 3.
Officers were called at around 1pm to reports of an attempted burglary at an address in Uxbridge Road.
According to police, the owner of a house was inside the property with a friend when they heard a loud, persistent knock at the door.
When the friend went to answer, a man armed with a handgun attempted to force his way into the house.
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With the help of the other woman, the pair, who are both in their 40s, managed to force the door shut, stopping the man from entering the house, police said.
Recalling the moment she opened the door, the friend said: "I looked down because I was expecting him to have a parcel and I just saw the barrel of a gun in his right hand.
"I instantly started screaming and pushing at the door."
The man fled from the address on foot, turning right out of the driveway towards Hampton Hill High Street.
No injuries were reported and no shots were fired.
The man is described as black, around 6ft 3ins tall, of slim build and aged between 20 and 30.
At the time of the incident, he was wearing black skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, black jacket and a black beanie hat.
Detectives believe he may have been trying to target another address and fled after realising he had knocked on the door of the wrong property.
Detective constable Mike Svensson, who is leading the investigation, said: "This is an unusual and shocking incident where two women were forced to stop a man armed with a gun entering a house in the middle of the day.
"It is unclear why this property was targeted, and this forms part of our ongoing investigation.
"The victims have been left terrified and I would urge anyone with information about this incident to get in touch as soon as possible."
The homeowner, who believes she saw the man walking past her house earlier in the day, says she will not answer the door to anyone anymore.
She said: "My chain is on constantly - I have never ever lived like this in my life."
Officers from Richmond and the Met's Flying Squad are investigating and so far no arrests have been made.
Police are asking anyone who was in the area at the time and may remember seeing the man to contact the Flying Squad on 020 8785 8655.
Alternatively, those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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