House burgled while family at funeral

“Despicable” burglars have raided a house while its occupants were at a family funeral, police said yesterday.

Electrical equipment, jewellery, cash and bags were taken after the burglars forced open a window of the house in Roosevelt Road in Basildon, according to Essex Police.

It would have been obvious that the owners had been recently bereaved when they broke in between 9am and 9pm on Friday, the force believes. Detective Sergeant Alex Gartshore, who is leading the investigation, said: “On the day, the occupants were attending a family funeral, when they arrived home in the evening they found they had been burgled.

“The thieves must have known the family were suffering bereavement due to a large number of cards of condolences in the address.

“I am appealing for the ­public’s help to catch these ­despicable thieves.”