A family who were targeted by thieves while away on holiday have called for the police to take more thorough action when investigating crime.

Martin Giles and his wife Suzanne returned from holiday to find their Land Rover Discovery had been stolen from their driveway in Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill.

Since reporting the crime on February 23 they say that they have been "seriously disappointed" by the police who, they say, refused to watch CCTV.

After speaking to neighbours the family managed to establish the car was stolen on February 15 or the early hours of February 16.

However, despite the theft of the £40,000 car, police have not been to visit the victims, they say.

Mr Giles said: "We just don't feel like this is being taken seriously at all.

"The police haven't even come out to our house.

"There is CCTV all along Queens Road but the police have refused to look at it because they are not prepared to sit through 48 hours of footage.

"We managed to narrow it down to around a 12-hour window with our neighbours and have offered to view the CCTV ourselves.

"We are going to be left significantly out of pocket because of the excess on the car."

Mr Giles said that crime in Buckhurst Hill is becoming a great concern for him and neighbours following a series of attempted car-jackings and vehicle thefts.

On the same day that his car was stolen, another Discovery was taken from Spring Grove in Loughton.

Mrs Giles said: "I have since found out that my dentist who lives in Spring Grove, Loughton also had their Discovery stolen on the same day.

"According to our neighbours and my dentist, the alarms didn’t go off, I have both sets of keys and no one entered the home as the alarm was on."

The family does not know how the car was stolen but are concerned that this make and model is being targeted.

Police say that six cars were stolen from Buckhurst Hill in February and three of those were recovered.

Essex Police said that they will be back in touch with Mr and Mrs Giles regarding the crime.