The retiree, referred to as “Francesca” by the French press, was woken up by the sound of the police blowing up her front door on October 25th. 

Speaking to the French daily La Provence, she said balaclava-wearing men rushed into her bedroom at 6am and pushed her onto the bed. The policemen then tore through her flat before realising their suspect lived next door. The damage done is estimated at €2,000.

On Thursday last week, the elite police force again forced their way into her flat, this time using a battering ram to break through her front door. The police force believed the suspect had escaped and was hiding on Francesca’s balcony. 

However, the two balconies are not connected and the suspect had escaped via another balcony. He was later arrested outside the building.

The police were tracking a suspect accused of taking part in a hold-up on a jeweller’s shop near the southern city of Toulon. 

Police say he was a dangerous criminal accused of shooting on the police with Kalashnikovs.