Burglars posing as police officers handcuffed a woman and threatened her with a knife.

The victim was woken in her flat in Eagle Drive, Colindale on August 11 by loud knocking on the front door at around 1am.

A man shouted he was a police officer and asked the woman to open the door. When the woman opened it, she was confronted by two men dressed in fake police uniforms.

They produced a false search warrant and entered the flat.

The woman was handcuffed and gagged with a piece of tape. The men demanded money and asked for the location of a safe she did not have. They also threatened her with a knife.

The suspects left the flat with a large amount of cash, and the woman heard a car driving away.

Detectives in Barnet have released an e-fit of a man they would like to identify.

He is described as white, aged roughly 25 and of thin build. He was roughly 5ft 11ins tall, had blonde gelled hair and blue eyes, and was clean shaven.

He was wearing a black vest with ‘police’ on it and a light blue short sleeved shirt with a collar. He was also wearing black trousers and a black belt.

A second man is described as white and aged roughly 28. He was 5ft 11ins  tall and stocky. He has short dark brown hair, which was graying, and was clean shaven with freckles.

He was wearing a black vest with ‘police’ on it, a light blue short sleeved shirt with a collar, black trousers and a black belt.

Detective Constable Andy Deamer, from the acquisitive crime unit in Barnet, said: “This was a horrendous attack on a female in her own home, which has left her extremely traumatised. I am appealing to anyone with information to come forward and assist in anyway they can."

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference 2417900/14. People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at www.crimestoppers-uk.org