A PAIR of “thieves” who cleared out a woman’s garage turned out to be housing association workers sent to the wrong town.

Melanie Leahy thought two men who were seen packing electrical goods and furniture into a van at her garage in Bronte Road, Witham, on Wednesday were “cheeky” burglars.

The 49-year-old said neighbours told her the men had brazenly made two trips to fully empty the lock-up.

She said: “It had furniture in it, a couple of lawnmowers, a freezer, a cooker, but it also had some rubbish and they took that as well. It was very strange.

“The garage door hinge on one side was slightly damaged, so it wouldn’t have been too difficult to force it open.”

When Ms Leahy, who lives in Tolleshunt Knights but rents out a property in Bronte Road, made initial inquiries to Greenfields Community Housing, she was told it had nothing to do with them.

However, following a call to Greenfields from the Times, it turned out the company had made a mistake.

Ms Leahy said: “They have confirmed they should have been at Bronte Close in Braintree.

I don’t know why they didn’t realise because it’s a different number.

“I have now got to write a list of what was in there and they have got to compensate.

They have got rid of everything.

“There are worse things to be angry about. I’m just glad someone has owned up to it. The mystery is solved.”

A Greenfields Community Housing spokesman said: “We can confirm that the garage was cleared in error by our contractor, for which we sincerely apologise.”