The incident was discovered when an occupant of a West Croft Lane house returned home at about 6pm disturbing several men on the driveway, who were in the process of burgling the property.

Although the resident wasn't physically harmed, she was left shaken by her confrontation with the men.

Some of the culprits left in the victim's black Vauxhall Corsa, which had large 'L' plates on it. Thieves used car keys they had stolen from the house. They also took property from the house, including televisions, laptop computers and jewellery.

Early enquiries have established the suspects left a vehicle on the road outside a neighbour's house for about 20 minutes while they committed the burglary. It's also believed the suspects may have spent some time in the area prior to committing the raid.

Anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area, in particular anyone who saw the car parked in West Croft Lane or the stolen Corsa, is asked to contact York CID on 0845 6060247, quoting reference number 12100017600, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.