Thieves "fished" car keys through the letter box of a house before stealing two vehicles worth £17,000.
The victims, who live in Victoria Road, Laindon, had left the keys on a counter near the front door.
The thieves had used a hook of some sort to snare the keys before dragging them out. They managed to get away with a black Renault Clio and blue MG TF convertible.
Following the incident police are once again urging the public to be careful not to leave valuables on show. They also stressed the importance of keeping windows closed when not in the same room. Anyone with information on the cars, which were registered as EY02 VKR and EJ03 EKG, should contact Laindon police on 01268 532212.
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