A FAMILY has revealed their heartbreak after thieves ransacked their property and took highly sentimental items.

The Brown family told the Echo how burglars broke in to their home, in Essex Close, Canvey, on Tuesday and stole jewellery, electronics and cash.

Among the items taken included a gold identity bracelet 65-year-old Kenneth Brown received as an 18th birthday present.

His wife Julie had her passport stolen by the culprits while the Brown’s home was empty between 2pm and 4.30pm.

Their daughter Emily, 26, says the episode has proved very upsetting for her parents and is urging for witnesses to come forward.

She said: “When you hear about burglaries your sympathy goes out to people who are affected, but until you are affected, you have no idea how it feels.

“The thing that’s most worrying for us is that it happened in broad daylight. That probably explains why they took things that they can sling in their pockets.

“They took all my mum’s jewellery and some very sentimental items and that is what’s so hard to take.

“It has really affected my parents badly, so we’re urging for any help to recover some of the items.”

Miss Brown says she was surprised at the fact the burglary took place in broad daylight, and believes it is due to neighbouring schools being closed for half term.

She said: “We think the school holidays might have something to do with it, because at the time we think it was carried out, the area is full of parents collecting their kids from William Reed.

“We’ll be installing alarms and CCTV now, a lot of people are doing this now.”

It comes just 24 hours after CCTV footage captured at an islanders home in Florence Road showed a thief break into a BMW parked on their driveway.

A spokesman for Essex Police said they were investigating the Brown family burglary and added: “Suspects entered a BMW 318 parked in Florence Road shortly before 2.20am on Monday. Money was stolen from inside.” Anyone with information on either of the incidents should call police on 101.