A robbery by a masked gang who held up a pensioner in her own home may be linked to a second raid on the same night.

Bilqis Begum Chaudhry was held up by three masked men at her home in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire.

The 69-year-old's family said the trio cut off her phone line and ripped off CCTV cameras during the raid on the property on Rouken Glen Road at around 5.30pm on Monday.

A five-figure sum of cash and jewellery with a similar value was stolen from a house on Ellon Way, Paisley - around seven miles from the Giffnock property targeted - between 5.30pm and 9.30pm on Monday.

No evidence of a link has yet been established but detectives are not ruling it out.

Among the items stolen from the Paisley property was wedding jewellery including a ring and necklace.

Detective sergeant Nathan Calderwood said: "Thankfully there wasn't anyone in the house at the time of the break-in, however, to come back and find that someone has been inside your home and stolen personal items is very upsetting.

"To make matters worse, the jewellery stolen was wedding jewellery, including a traditional gold Asian wedding necklace, and so had significant sentimental value.

"Officers have been speaking to neighbours and are checking CCTV in the area to identify those responsible for the break-in but are still appealing to anyone who may have seen people acting suspiciously around the house at the time to contact them."

In the Giffnock raid, the gang made off with a "sizeable amount" of cash, as well as other valuables, while they "turned the house upside-down" when they broke in.

Some of the victim's relatives arrived, forcing the robbers - who were wielding screwdrivers - to flee the scene in a grey Volvo car.

Her family members managed to take photographs of two of the men who carried out the raid, which they have shared on social media.

Anyone with information about either robbery is asked to contact the police on 101.