BURGLARS ruined a pensioner’s Christmas after breaking into her home and ransacking her bedroom on Christmas Day.

The thieves left behind a trail of destruction after smashing a window and a door at the back of a home in The Leasway, Wickford.

It is understood that the homeowner, thought to be a woman in her eighties, was away celebrating the day at the time of the raid.

Police were called to the scene at about noon.

Crime scene investigator Vikki Smith, who works from Basildon’s police station, attended the scene and assessed the rooms and broken windows for forensic evidence of fingerprints and DNA.

She took a photograph and mould of a tool mark, which was embedded into the UPVC door frame, and sent it off for analysis.

So far no arrests have been made.

Mrs Smith tweeted at the time: “I am on scene at a burglary in Wickford.

“Crime doesn’t stop over Christmas but unfortunately for this elderly lady her day has been ruined.”

She added: “They smashed a double glazed window in a back conservatory door then a double glazed unit in a bedroom window.

“There was a messy search of the master bedroom.

“It is unknown what was stolen as victim was not at the property during my examination.”

Burglaries in Wickford were a cause of concern for police over recent months, leading to the launch of Operation Titan and Malta, which were specifically designed to track down burglars and pin them to scenes of crime.

Streetlights in crime-ridden estates across Wickford had their streetlights switched on overnight for about a fortnight following a request to Essex County Council by police .

It was hoped that it would deter burglars.

This has led to a reduction in break-ins across the Basildon borough over the course of recent weeks.

Any witnesses or anyone with information about the burglary can call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Alternatively, they can visit crimestoppers-uk.org and fill out an online form.