A TERRIFIED mum came face-to-face with burglars as they tried to force their way into her home in the early hours of the morning.

Nicki Newman, 38, who was inside her home in Chittock Gate, Basildon, with her nine-year-old son at the time is now scared to be home alone.

The mum heard the group of three men trying to break into her house with a crowbar at around 4am on Saturday.

After she heard the noise, Miss Newman unwittingly opened the door and came face-to-face with the crooks before they fled.

She said: “I feel so embarrassed that I answered the door, but I didn’t know what else to do. They could have easily pushed past me and entered the house, it was just me against three of them.

“It all happened so quickly I didn’t get a chance to see them properly. It’s just me and my son living there. Luckily, it was just me in the house at the time and my son wasn’t in.

“It has left me feeling incredibly scared and full of anxiety, I haven’t slept properly since. It’s horrible not feeling safe in your own home.

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"My mum has offered to come and stay with us but as a mum you want to be able to look after your child independently. I have been left worrying about his safety as well as my own.

“He is still unaware of what happened and I’m trying to keep it that way.

“I’m working on getting some CCTV installed and my neighbours have been very kind and offered to point their cameras towards my house.”

The group fled before Miss Newman managed to get a proper look at them.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “We were contacted shortly after 5am on 28 August with reports of an attempted burglary at an address in Chittock Gate, Basildon.

“The victim reported hearing a noise at the front door and found scratch marks on the door and frame.

“No entry was gained to the property.

“Enquiries remain ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Basildon CID quoting reference 42/181050/21 viawww.essex.police.uk or 101.”