A TERRIFIED mother was tasered on her doorstep by ruthless armed raiders who stole thousands of pounds in cash, jewellery and unwrapped Christmas presents.

The 41-year-old mum-of-two from East Tilbury, who did not want to be named, said five men in balaclavas armed with a taser gun, machetes and baseball bats broke into her home at 9.20pm on Saturday.

At the time, she was on the phone to her husband, who was away. The gang came in through the back of the house, grabbed her phone and smashed it to pieces before demanding money and valuables.

The woman’s 16-year-old son, who had hidden under his bed upstairs, was on the phone to police as thieves raided the house, while her daughter, aged 18, came face-to-face with the men.

Cash which the robbers made off with was money from the family haulage business.

The woman, from Love Lane, said: “I was lying on the settee watching TV. They came up the bridlepath at the back of the house then in through the back door. I didn’t know they were here until they were at the end of the sofa.

“I was just stunned to start with. They said ‘where’s the money’ and I just sat there stunned. I actually thought the children were playing about. “I said I would give them everything if they didn’t hurt the children.

“It was horrendous. There’s no other way of describing it. I feel numb, nervous and frightened that they’re going to come back. I didn’t think we were going to survive it.”

The family were supposed to be going to Disneyland Paris on Monday and although the children have still gone with their grandparents, the mother and father have stayed home.

She added: “Somebody has been watching and planning this for a while. “We’ve been out this morning and found tyre tracks by the bridlepath. It must be a 4x4 as they came across the railway line.”

Four of the five men are described as being aged in their twenties, of slim build and average height, while the fifth was short and stocky. A police spokesman said: “This seems to be a targeted burglary and was a very frightening experience for the family.

“Anyone with any information should contact CID at Grays Police Station on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”