A mum-of-three has told of her terror after raiders broke in to steal her nine-year-old daughter’s birthday money.

Kirsty Stewart, 30, was asleep with her family upstairs when burglars reached in through a small open window to climb inside and steal £110 in cash from the kitchen.

They left mobile phones and the television during the break-in between 10.45pm on August 22 and 7.55am on August 23 in White Horse Avenue, Halstead.

Miss Stewart, who has a five-year-old son and a one-year-old baby boy, said she and her children are now scared to be in the house.

For more, see this week's Halstead Gazette.