Sniffer dogs were called out after a father reported a man had tried to break into his daughter’s bedroom late at night.

Patrick Mullervy was woken around 4am on Sunday to his phone ringing. It was his 14-year-old daughter, calling from her bedroom on a lower floor of their Langley Park home, where they have been living for around two weeks.

She told him there was a man at her window asking her to let him in, and that she’d turned the light on but he was continuing to ask her to open the window.

Mr Mullervy rushed downstairs and into the room, with the man, who is described as being middle eastern, shouting ‘sorry’ and running away.

The Edmett Way resident said: “I went chasing after him in my underwear originally, but then I thought there might be someone else waiting round the corner for me to leave so they could get in the house, so I turned and went back.”

The panicked father called the police, who arrived shortly afterwards with sniffer dogs.

“Before I’d even told them fully what happened the dog had got the scent and was off, but unfortunately he lost the scent over on the fields round the back of the houses,” Mr Mullervy explained.

“My daughter has been really shaken up since, she’s scared by every little noise, and she couldn’t sleep in her own room because she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“The Taylor Wimpey site office is quite nearby so I hope their CCTV caught him coming onto the estate. I’ve checked with the Aldi store but that CCTV didn’t pick him up.

“I’ve spoken to other residents and there have been reports of people seeing someone fitting that description hanging around late at night. These reports have been from houses with children living in them.”

A police spokesman said: “Officers attended the scene but were unable to locate the man.

"He is described as being middle eastern, 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build, with short dark hair and wearing a navy blue hooded jacket.”

Anyone who has any information that could help is asked to call police on 01622 604100 quoting reference 03-0124, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.