The break-in took place around 5am (9pm Singapore time) on Friday at a home the young heir owns in the Sherman Oaks area north-east of Los Angeles, police spokesman Richard French told AFP.

'According to detectives, a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and gloves forced entry through the front door, ransacked her bedroom and took an undisclosed amount of property and then left the scene,' said Mr French of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

'Miss Hilton was not at home at the time the burglary occurred,' he added.

The Los Angeles Times, citing LAPD sources, reported that 'an estimated two million dollars worth of jewelry and other belongings' was stolen from the Hilton home. -- AFP