A MUM says her 11-year-old daughter is heartbroken after burglars stole Christmas presents and frightened her pet rabbit so badly it died of a heart attack.

They broke into the family’s Southend flat on Friday, November 29, while the girl was staying with a friend and her mother, who does not want to be named, was out for the evening.

The girl’s rabbit, George, just 18 weeks old, was let out of his cage in the house as the intruders wrecked the lounge, knocking over the Christmas tree and breaking a pint glass. They then made off with wrapped Christmas presents for the woman’s two daughters, aged 11 and 14.

The woman said the first she knew about it was when police rang from her flat, in Gordon Road, to say she’d been burgled.

She said: “My neighbours told me the main front door to the flats was kicked in about 7pm and then a group of kids who were seen must have come back and done my door.

“The neighbours heard all the banging and rang the police. Its disgusting and twisted what they’ve done. My daughter is absolutely heartbroken about her rabbit. We’d only had him seven weeks.”

She took the terrified pet to a vet, but it died of a heart attack, believed to be brought on by shock. The woman said: “As I buy presents, I wrap them as there’s nowhere to hide them in the flat.

“They were under the tree. Now I have to get the money together again to buy more.

”I hope by putting this in the paper, someone may go to the police if they know who did this.”

The stolen items were a grey Everlast hooded top, light grey and white Nike Air Max trainers with a pink tick, size 51/2, and two board games. The burglary was at about 9pm, and a large group of young people was seen in the area at the time. Anyone with information about the break-in can call PC Sam Winter in the CID office at Southend police station on 101.