A BURGLARY victim has spoken of his horror after discovering thieves broke into his home while his son pretended to be asleep downstairs.

Mark Hoy’s ten-year-old son Finn was sleeping downstairs for the night when he was woken up by a group of burglars with torches on Sunday night.

Finn pretended to be sound asleep as the crooks rummaged around the downstairs rooms before stealing car keys and driving off in Mark’s car parked outside.

Mark, of Angelgate, Harwich, was woken by Finn at about 3am on Monday, who said four people broke into the house carrying torches.

Finn told his dad that two of the thugs were standing at the bottom of the stairs keeping lookout and two were in the rooms downstairs.

Mark said: “Finn came upstairs to my room to wake me and tell me what happened.

“I came downstairs with him and saw the front door was left wide open.

“I realised my son was not telling fibs or dreaming and the car keys were missing off the hook.

“I don’t know if they wanted to take anything or were looking for the car keys.”

The incident was one of several burglaries and vehicle thefts to happen in Harwich and Dovercourt during the weekend.

Mark called the police at about 3.15am to report the burglary and his stolen car.

He said Finn kept really quiet and did not move when the thieves were in the house as he was scared.

Mark said: “It’s never happened to us before, but the neighbours have had mopeds stolen. I think we were just one of the victims from the weekend.”

During the day on Monday, Mark discovered through social media his silver Vauxhall Corsa was ditched near Asda in Dovercourt.

It is now being repaired.

Anyone with information can contact Essex Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 42/18490/19, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.