A burglar smashed his way into a home and stole jewellery belonging to a seriously ill 77-year-old woman as she lay in a hospital bed.

Shocking CCTV shows a burglar running around the home of grandmother Carol Hunt while she was being cared for by doctors at William Harvey Hospital after suffering a double heart attack.

The raid at her home in Biddenden Road in St Michaels, near Tenterden, on Monday morning was discovered by her husband of 53 years Gerry, after he returned home from visiting her in hospital at 7pm.

Video shows the burglar scouring the house near Tenterden

The couple’s son Matt, 36, said: “It must have been quite terrifying for my dad to come home in the dark after visiting mum and find the patio door broken and glass everywhere. He was quite shaken-up when he spoke to me.”

The family installed CCTV following a previous burglary, which captured the thief at work.

Matt said: “He knocked on the letter-box first and then went away and knocked again.

“He came back later with his balaclava on and hood up and wiped his fingerprints from the letter-box.”

The thief, who was captured carrying a crowbar, smashed a patio door at the back of the house out of the view of the cameras.

Matt said: “There was glass everywhere in the lounge and a trail of it leading upstairs where he went into the bedrooms.

“He took mum’s jewellery from her box and my father’s watches.

“Drawers were pulled out everywhere and little pots emptied.

“At the moment we can’t accurately list the jewellery he has taken as only mum would know what’s missing. We haven’t told mum what’s happened as she is seriously ill and the shock could cause her to have another heart attack.”

The timing of the burglary has made its impact worse as Matt had been attending the funeral of his father in law, accompanied by his own dad Gerry on Monday.

Matt said: “The burglary couldn’t have come at a worse time for our family.”

A police spokesman said: “We are investigating a report of a burglary in the Tenterden area.

“It was reported that the burglary took place at around 10.40am on Monday, November 26, at a property in Biddenden Road, St Michaels.

“Enquiries are ongoing to confirm what was stolen during the burglary.

“Anyone with information regarding the burglary is asked to call police on 01843 222289 quoting 46/13304/18.”