A man was robbed by youths brandishing a knife as he sunbathed in his front garden.
The crooks struck in Conan Doyle Close, Braintree, at about 7.30pm on Monday and demanded cigarettes.
They threatened the man at knifepoint before he handed over cigarettes next to his chair. He was also forced to hand over loose change.
The youths then made a getaway in a white Transit-type van.
Braintree police spokesman Steve Turner said: "This was clearly a distressing episode for the man who was innocently sunbathing in the garden and minding his own business.
"We're hoping there will be other people in the street who may have seen the men or the vehicle."
The youths were described as about 20 years of age. The one with the knife was fat with dark hair and the car driver had blond hair and wore a yellow vest.
There is no description of the third person. In a separate incident, a woman enjoying the sunshine went back into her home to find a burglar making his getaway.
The woman had taken a handbag from the house in Glebe Gardens, Witham, at about 11.50am on Monday.
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