PENSIONERS who had their house trashed by crooks in broad daylight have told how they have been unable to sleep since.

Crooks crowbarred their way into David and Glenys Hopkins’ house on Lower Burnham Road, just out- side Burnham, pulling out drawers, breaking open cupboards, smashing glass, and dragging out and tearing open a heavy metal safe.

The couple, who have lived on the road for nearly 35 years, arrived back from a charity sale in Tollesbury find their belongings and papers strewn over the front garden.

David, 82 and chairman of Burnham Gardening Club, said: “It was absolutely horrendous.

“When we got back and saw the devastation we felt sick and full of anger.

It couldn’t have happened long before we got back, as some of the papers left strewn around were still quite dry.

“We haven’t been able to sleep since it happened, we’ve been up all night most days. We’re doing our best to get on with it, but it will be a long haul.”

The crooks had pulled away an entire door frame, and rammed one of the glass panes so hard it flew across the hall and shattered.

They proceeded into both bedrooms, tearing out all drawers, ransacking a corridor filled with boxes of belongings, before dragging out a heavy metal safe in the couple’s bedroom and tearing it open from its base and stealing the deeds and paperwork inside.

The incident happened days before Mr Hopkins’ grandson was due to fit CCTV around the house.

David said: “Luckily for us, there was no jewellery or precious items in the safe, just a lot of deeds and paperwork, they must have felt sick when they opened it up to find that.”

The raid was one of two which took place on Lower Burnham Road on the same weekend.

Mr Hopkins said raids were so commonplace now that people of the Dengie had lost faith in the police.

He said: “We were at a meeting in Purleigh the other night, and of the 60 people that were there, 10 of them said they had been hit more than once.

“It’s appalling right now, as a lack of action means people don’t even bother to call them.

“People shouldn’t be afraid to get involved, too many now stay away from things like this.

“But having some good nosey neighbours would help people and encourage them to get involved and raise awareness.”

Glenys added: “While we were lucky they didn’t steal anything of great value, with these raids, it’s just as much the impact of what they do, not what they take.”

An Essex Police spokesman said the raid took place between 10am and 3pm on Saturday, November 12.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.