A Braintree woman is warning others to be careful after her bag was stolen from her car.

Alison Hurrell, of Broad Road, Braintree, had left the bag under the passenger seat of her locked black Range Rover, after returning from a day out in Southend on Sea.

She didn’t know the car had been broken into until the police knocked on her door the following morning.

“I don’t usually leave anything in the car,” the 51-year-old accountant said.

“It was really unlucky.

“We didn’t heard anything - I can’t believe my dogs didn’t bark.”

Nine cars in total were targeted in the same night along the road.

The suspected thief was chased off from another house, and dropped Mrs Hurrell’s debit cards, leading the police to contact her.

Mrs Hurrell had her handbag, purse and about £70 in cash stolen.