A WOMAN was bound and gagged in a terrifying raid by a gang who broke into her house.

The 49-year-old was in bed at her home in Bradley Boulevard, Sheepridge, at 9.45pm on Wednesday when four ski-masked men smashed a window and came in.

The men demanded cigarettes, but the woman denied having any.

They frogmarched her downstairs, taped her hands behind her back and put tape over her mouth.

They searched the house, but left with nothing. They used her key to leave the building.

The woman was shocked by her ordeal, but unhurt.

Three of the gang were African- Caribbeans and one was white.

The white man was 5ft 5in and slender.

A second intruder was about 5ft 8in and stocky. He was wearing a large ring in the shape of a big knot on his middle finger of his left hand.

A third man was of medium build and about 5ft 7in. He wore black Adidas tracksuit bottoms and white Nike training shoes with a blue stripe on each.

There was no other description of the fourth man.