A woman is heartbroken after thieves stole her precious jewels and a car worth almost £50,000 in the middle of the night.

The thieves, believed to be a group of suspects entered the property in Tiptree Road, Great Totham at around midnight.

The suspects began to search through the property in search of goods to take.

The took a large collection of jewellery from the woman who owned the home's bedroom.

They then swiped the keys to the woman's BMW M4, worth around £50,000 from the driveway.

It was not until around 2.30pm the next day the owner found out the burglary happened.

Advice from the Maldon Neighbourhood Watch has told residents to "secure their boundaries" to combat burglars breaking into their homes.

A spokesman said: "Don’t make it easy for a burglar.

"Keep your keys away from your front door, out of sight and not left near a window but readily available in case of an emergency.

"Keep your money, gadgets and other valuables out of view from windows, doors or anywhere else they could be seen from outside.

"Good outdoor lighting can deter a burglar.

"Use a daylight sensor at the front of your home that will come on automatically when it’s dark.

"At the rear, use an infrared movement sensor."

The vehicle registration for the stolen BMW is RJ16 MTO.

It has been missing since it was stolen on November 6.

Essex Police are appealing for anyone with information connected to the theft to come forward.

If you have any information, please call police on 101, quoting crime reference 42/162091/18.

Alternatively you can call the charity, Crimestoppers UK on 0800 555 111.