Brazen burglars sneaked into a great-grandfather’s bedroom while he slept to steal his wallet from his trouser pocket.

The two thieves, wearing white Puffa jackets and white gloves, were caught on CCTV breaking into Tom Mancey’s home in Little Lullaway, Laindon.

They forced open the front door to get inside the porch at about 9.50pm on Thursday before smashing a pane of glass and ransacking the kitchen and living room.

The pair then made their way upstairs and crept into the sleeping 86-year-old’s bedroom to rifle through his clothes, which were next to his bed.

When the pensioner woke up at about 4.30am the following day he realised his wallet was missing from his trouser pocket and a safe containing a precious coin collection had disappeared from his son’s bedroom.

Mr Mancey’s daughter Elaina Mancey, 57, from Basildon, said: “The CCTV outside the house captures them breaking in.

“Once inside, they had pulled everything out of the cupboards and drawers.

“They then went upstairs and went into my dad’s bedroom while he slept. They took his wallet out of his trousers which were hanging next to his bed.

“What’s awful is that they knew he was in and yet they still burgled his house.

“They would have had to have walked past the stairlift that my dad uses occasionally so they knew who they were targeting.

“They are despicable. My dad has been left in shock.”

The coin collection, which included eight full sovereigns and eight half sovereigns, was estimated to be worth thousands of pounds.

Ms Mancey added: “I have been going through the receipts and some of the coins were worth more than £200 each.

“A gold bullion collector’s sleeve was bought for £228.

“We would urge anyone to look out for these items and we have been to already been to pawnbrokers to let them know.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Police were contacted at around 4.30am on Friday **26** with reports of a burglary at an address in Little Lullaway in Basildon.

“Thieves broke into the property overnight.

“Items have been stolen but are yet to be identified.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.