THREE masked jewel thieves burst into a house and held a knife to the throat of a terrified woman.

The gang, all wearing balaclavas, threatened the woman and then fled her Sealand Road, Sealand, bungalow with a haul of jewellery at lunchtime on Thursday.

North Wales Police were called to the house at about 12.55pm.

Teams of police officers and forensics were combing the scene for clues for hours afterwards.

Chief inspector Darren Wareing said investigations were ongoing, but no-one had been injured in the incident near Manor Road.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “I can’t believe something like this has happened here.

“These people must have been watching the street for weeks.

“It’s terrifying and must have been horrific for the people involved.”

North Wales Police is appealing for witnesses or anyone who can help with the enquiry to contact them as soon as possible.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the North Wales Police control room on 0845 607 1002 or CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.