They would have been cowering in fear and desperately ringing triple zero, if only they had known.

The security camera footage is startling.

Three cars were parked in the garage at the luxury residence in Gerroa. There were obviously people at home.

But that didn’t stop the brazen attempt at a home invasion recently.

The security footage shows two young men in hoodies, with masks covering much of their faces. They arrive on the property shortly after 2.50am and can be seen trying the front door, two windows and a side door at the rear of the house.

Fortunately for Ian and Janice Dolan, the owners of this magnificent property, and equally fortunately for their three female visitors, all the doors were security-locked and the windows safely secured.

To this day, they are shocked by the blatant nature of it all.

The footage shows the would-be home invaders checking all the car doors at the front of the house, unfazed by the lights coming on.

Without any alarms being triggered, the Dolans slept through it all.

They only discovered the terrifying incident – which could have ended very badly for both of them – through happenstance.

Ian’s sister-in-law, a meticulous person, kept insisting someone had been in her car and stolen her remote.

He brushed it off at first, but she kept insisting. Finally, he got to thinking: she’s not the sort of person who would misplace anything.

That led him to check the security camera footage.

“It is bloody terrifying,” says Ian. “As people get older they feel more vulnerable. How would you like to be an octogenarian and have a stranger roaming through your house?

“They were so casual. The lights came on at the front of the property and they didn’t even hesitate.

“It feels like you lose a lot of your freedom. You should be able to relax and feel free in your home. It is an awful proposition.”

He is thankful there were no young children in the house.

“My wife had broken her foot and couldn’t walk at the time. What am I going to do? I am not going to move while they are holding a knife at my wife’s throat. They have no fear. They don’t care whether they kill you or not.”

Janice says they are now diligent: “We live in such a beautiful place, you are always a target. We’re religiously checking; everything is locked all the time.”

Ian has dropped leaflets throughout his neighbourhood, warning everyone of what has happened. As a result, residents are updating their cameras and their security.

One neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was thinking of getting a Bull Terrier. Her security footage shows the would-be thieves walking past her home at 3.01am.

“They were so brazen,” she says. “They were rattling the doors of one of my neighbours. It is frightening.”

Potential thieves know the enclave – with spectacular views down Seven Mile Beach – is wealthy. The Dolans bought their property in 2003 for just over a million dollars, then a record for the area.

“It was more than I could afford at the time,” says Ian. “There were dolphins jumping out of the surf as the auction was going on, and I got auction fever.”

A million dollars gets you nowhere anymore, with small blocks of land on the ocean side of the street fetching more than five million.

That sort of money attracts thieves, making locals nervous. Some of Ian’s friends, even with their doors locked, routinely sleep with baseball bats or iron bars beside their beds.

“One day those thieves are going to wake up the wrong person,” Ian says. “Nothing good is going to come out of this.”

The footage of the incident, along with the number plate of a car circling the block at the time, have been passed to the police.

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, only 13 per cent of break and enter offences in the state are ever solved.

Kiama MP Katelin McInerney said the NSW Government was focused on ensuring peace of mind for residents, which is “why we are delivering extra Police assigned to the Lake Illawarra Command this year”.

“I know any attempted break-and-enter would be deeply worrying to local residents and distressing for the family impacted and it is important for the community to know that the Police not only take these matters seriously but are acting to arrest individuals found committing these crimes,” she told The Bugle.

“When I spoke to Superintendent Commander Darren Brand, Lake Illawarra Command, about this matter and the community’s concerns about recent break-and-enter events, he confirmed Police have already investigated a number of these cases and that Police have made a number of arrests related to break and enter in Kiama over the past few weeks.

“I will continue to work with our local command and support the community in this as we all want the same thing – safe streets, secure homes and peace of mind for our families and neighbours.

“Superintendent Brand also reiterated that simple steps like locking your doors, securing your home and vehicles, as well as reporting suspicious behaviour can make a real difference.”

McInerney said residents should call Crime Stoppers, contact the Police Assistance Line or visit Kiama Police Station, which is open daily between 9am to 5pm, and she also recommended downloading the Protect Your Home document from the NSW Police website for tips on keeping your property secure.

Lake Illawarra Police District and Kiama Council were requested for comment but declined.