A mother-of-two has had almost £600 of Christmas presents stolen from the boot of her car in Margate.

Lisa Hemingway, 46, of Westfield Road, put two large Ikea bags full of unwrapped presents in her Honda CRV last night at 10pm, but discovered they were gone this morning.

Mrs Hemingway, who owns the Cupcake Cafe in Margate Old Town, said: “Nearly everything I had bought for my relatives and children has been taken.

“There were perfumes, a variety of Hollister clothing, iPhone and iPad covers, DVDs, chocolate selection boxes and little table presents among what was taken.

“I really struggled to get one present in particular which was a pair of pink and blue-striped underwear shorts and I doubt I will have the time and money to replace these things.”

There was no damage to the black car and police found nothing after searching for fingerprints.

Police have confirmed they are investigating the theft.

A spokesman said: "The incident is reported to have occurred between 10pm yesterday and 7am this morning.

“Police advise motorists to empty their vehicles of valuables when leaving them unattended.

"Thieves will be on the lookout for busy people distracted by the hustle and bustle of Christmas, don’t give them the opportunity to steal your belongings."

Anyone with information can call police on 101, quoting reference ZY/040782/14.

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