Four men wearing balaclavas and armed with a metal bar forced their way into a house last night.
Police say the gang threatened the people inside the home in Waltham Abbey with the bar before making off with a laptop, mobile phone and handbag.
The property in Crooked Mile was targeted shortly before 11pm (June 13).
Detectives from Essex Police have launched an investigation into the aggravated burglary.
As part of this, officers are working to establish whether it is linked to a similar kind of burglary at the home of a woman in her 80s in Warley, near Brentwood, at around 10pm the same evening.
Police would like to hear from anyone who has any CCTV, dash cam, or doorbell footage that could help with the investigation.
Anyone with any information can submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk or call 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/15352/22.
Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
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