A FAMILY was left shaken after two men wielding knives forced their way into their home.

Police are investigating after the incident in Lilac Tree Court in Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester.

Two men forced their way into the home after knocking on the door at around 8.20pm on Sunday.

They threatened a man with knives and stole hundreds of pounds, a purse and an Apple iPhone 7.

DC Tim Harris said: “This was a frightening incident but fortunately no-one was hurt and we have been progressing our investigation to catch those responsible.

“We are continuing to review CCTV and speak to neighbours, and have been giving descriptions of the suspects, who were wearing distinctive clothing.

“We are keen to speak to anyone who saw two men matching the descriptions either before or after the burglary, and to anyone in the area around Lilac Tree Court and Hawthorn Avenue who may have CCTV or doorbell footage.”

One of the suspects was described as white, slim, and about 5ft 10ins tall.

He had a blue plastic bag covering his face and wore a green baseball cap.

The second man was also white and slim, and about 6ft tall.

He had black short hair and wore a colourful face mask and high visibility vest.

Witnesses are asked to call Colchester CID on 101 quoting reference 42/90348/20.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.