AN Asian woman was subjected to a terrifying raid in her own home by masked robbers who yanked gold bangles from her wrists.

Two men wearing balaclavas forced their way into the home of the woman, who is aged in her sixties, in the Pitsea area.

They grabbed her wrists and snatched the bangles before fleeing the area at about 9.50pm on Saturday.

So far, no arrests have been made and enquiries are continuing.

Detectives believe the woman was deliberately targeted in her home because of “Asian traditions” around jewellery.

Det Insp Chris Rose said: “Asian traditions have always placed a strong emphasis on jewellery.

“It plays an important role in family and religious occasions and many items are handed down through the generations.

“The jewellery is not only valuable but is often of great sentimental worth.

“There is no doubt our victim in this case was extremely frightened by what happened and we are doing all we can to arrest those responsible.

“However in the meantime I would urge residents to remain vigilant and take some simple steps to protect their property.”

An Essex Police spokesman is urging residents to take simple steps to deter thieves, including investing in CCTV cameras and burglar alarms and keeping items in a safe deposit box or bank or with a safe secured to a wall or floor which complies with official insurance rating standards.

Essex Police have said that there have been a spate of burglaries across Essex in recent months in which thieves have stolen valuable jewellery and cash from Asian families.

Jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds has been stolen from a number of homes.

Asian families can sometimes have a large gold collection, including necklaces, rings, earrings and bangles, which is seen as treasure that has been handed down from generations.

He added that when wearing valuable jewellery in public, people should also be extra vigilant.

Anyone with information about the burglary can contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.