A TRAUMATISED mum has launched an appeal for witnesses after thieves stole two pit bikes from her shed which were meant to be a Christmas present for her autistic daughter.

Megan Brown, of Hamilton Street, Parkeston, has been left devastated after raiders stole two bikes and some new wheels for the second time in just a few months.

The 42-year-old mum said yobs have also broken one of the CCTV cameras she has installed after the first raid.

Megan said the bikes had been a Christmas present to her daughter, Morgan Bracey.

Morgan had been devastated after two other bikes were stolen previously.

She said: “We were gutted. I’m devastated and the kids are so upset.

“It’s hard to explain to my kids what happened because they don’t understand.

“They took a good ten minutes to break into the shed because it was locked up.

“You can see from the CCTV footage they were struggling to open the door.

“I believe it has been planned and they knew what they were after.”

Mum-of-six Megan said her 12-year-old son Owen Bracey, who has special needs, was left shaken after the bikes were stolen the last time.

She said: “We’ve built the bikes for them and they didn’t get to enjoy them.”

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were called at about 1.45am on Saturday, December 21 about a shed burglary in Hamilton Street, Harwich.

“A woman reported suspects had forced entry to the shed at around 1.20am and took two pit bikes before leaving the scene.

“They have been described as being a 125cc green pit bike monster and a black and white pit bike. We have reviewed CCTV footage which shows five people wearing hoodies leaving the scene before walking down an alleyway.”

Anyone with information should call Clacton police station on 101 quoting crime reference 42/200623/19 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.