A WOMAN has been left “traumatised” after arriving home from hospital to face a stranger ransacking her bedroom.

The incident saw an estimated £5,000 worth of sentimental gold jewellery stolen from a safe fitted inside the the victim and her husband’s wardrobe.

The victims did not want to be named but spoke to the Echo about their terrifying ordeal.

The husband, who lives in Bramble Road, Canvey, said: “I was on the phone to my wife who was walking into the house after a hospital appointment - she has bowel cancer and a colostomy bag fitted.

“She saw that the house looked like it had been turned upside down, then all I heard was her screaming: ‘Get out, get out!’

“He pushed my wife to the floor and she chased him down the road. He got on his bike and got away.

“My wife called 999 and then called our children, who came over straight away - she was in such a state. She has been left traumatised - her mental state is already not great because of the cancer. This has pushed her further over the edge.”

When the victim went upstairs and caught the young thief in the act as he was about to put an iPad in a bag.

CCTV footage revealed the thug was in the couple’s home for almost 15 minutes.

The husband added: “Every room had been ransacked;p about 20 drawers had been opened and rummaged through.

“The rucksack he was seen with on his back is my what my wife keeps all her paperwork in. The paperwork had been taken out and was sprawled all over the bed.

“He used the bag to fill up with the jewellery he stole.”

The victim explained how his wife usually kept the safe key with her, but when she opened it in a hurry a few hours before to get her husband’s passport out, she left the key in a drawer.

Unfortunately, the thief found the key and was able to open the safe where the jewellery was located.

The victim added: “Gold can be replaced but it was all sentimental jewellery that belonged to my wife’s mother and was passed on to her, as well as a gold initialled ring which was my dad’s and the only thing left from my dad.

“It’s been hard enough as it is for the last three years with my wife’s cancer, this was another nail we didn’t need.

“People just don’t care anymore. Youths are running riot at the moment. And with all the knife crime going on at the moment - it’s scary.

“The police have been great and we want to thank them. Hopefully he is caught.”

A spokesman for Essex Police, said: “We were called around 1.30pm on Tuesday 17 September with reports of a burglary at an address on Bramble Road, Canvey.

“It was reported that a woman arrived home to find a man searching the property.

“Upon confronting the man, he pushed past the woman and left on a black pushbike in the direction of High Street.

“The man was described as being young in age, black, and was wearing a grey tracksuit, black trainers, black scarf and a black hat. He was also carrying a blue Adidas bag. Items of jewellery were stolen.”

Witnesses or anyone who was in the area around the time and saw any suspicious behaviour or a man matching this description should contact Basildon Local Policing team on 101 quoting crime reference number 42/149124/19 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.