A TERRIFIED woman in her sixties has been robbed in her own home by four masked men claiming to be police officers.

The woman's ordeal began at around 6.25pm on Monday (9) when she noticed her dogs looking out of a window of her property in Benham Hill, off the London Road, Thatcham.

She went to investigate, and saw a dark blue Volkswagen Golf parked on her driveway.

Four masked men got out of the car, and shouted that they were police officers.

The woman attempted to stop them, but they forced their way into her home.

One of the men forced the victim to sit on the floor, while the other three searched her home, demanding the whereabouts of her gold, money, passport and handbag.

The men then fled the scene, and the traumatised victim sought help from her neighbour who called the police.

One of the men is described as white, slim, shorter than 5ft 9ins, and aged in his twenties. He was wearing light brown trousers with vertical stripes and black gloves. He was carrying a silver or stainless steel bar with a red handle.

Another of the men is described as black, of medium build, the same height as the first offender and aged in his thirties. He was wearing blue clothing and gloves. He was carrying a black bar which had two prongs on one end.

The other two offenders are believed to be white and aged approximately in their twenties. All of the men were wearing balaclavas.

Gold rings and other jewellery were stolen during the robbery.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant John Yallop, of Newbury Force CID, said: “I would like to speak to anyone who has any information about this aggravated burglary or who noticed any suspicious activity in the area at around the time of the incident on Monday.

“Thankfully the victim was not hurt as a result, however this was an understandably concerning experience for her. Detectives are working to identify and locate the offenders and to establish the circumstances.

“If you have any details which could assist our investigation please contact police.”

Anyone with any information about the incident should contact the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101 quoting the reference ‘43180208517’. If you do not want to speak to police, please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.