A quiet community was today recovering from the shock of a violent robbery in their midst.

Residents stunned - the quiet scene in Long Green, Cressing, where neighbours were shocked to hear of the robbery. Picture: SEANA HUGHES (46222-c)

Neighbours in Long Green, Cressing, were stunned after hearing about one couple's struggle with masked burglars in the early hours of Friday morning.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to the raid. It is believed a get-away vehicle may have been parked in nearby Wright's Avenue.

A spokesman for Essex Police said it is thought the four men ran off through a footpath along Braintree Road to a vehicle, possibly waiting for them in Wright's Avenue.

The burglars tied up the husband and wife, in their 60s, and made off with money and jewellery. They are thought to have been carrying police-style stun guns.

The victims' semi-detached house had been broken into at about 4am and they were threatened in their bed and tied up.

When the 60-year-old husband struggled with the burglars they hit him on the head with what police believe was the butt-end of a hand gun and then prodded him with some kind of stun gun.

A "substantial amount" of money, some jewellery and personal papers were stolen. Residents in rural Long Green said several of them had been awake at that time in the morning but none of them had heard anything.

Doreen Caine and her husband Lee said the fast road and lack of lighting or pavements meant it was very difficult to see even if they do hear noises.

Another neighbour, Lyn Watson, 53, said: "The daft thing is our daughter came up at 2am, we both got up at 3.30am for a drink of water and went back to sleep and then were up at 4.45am.

"We couldn't believe we didn't hear anything. Let's hope it was a one-off."

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Published Monday, November 14, 2005

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