A terrified woman sent a would-be burglar fleeing when she caught him trying to break into her home.

Diana Lea, of Sterling Road, Queenborough, was in the house alone when she found a man standing at her back door with an object in his hand.

The 26-year-old, who had been alerted to the danger by her Staffordshire bull terrier Elle, ran to grab her phone to call the police.

When she returned, the man had run off.

She said: “I was in my kitchen at around 12.50pm and I could hear my dog growling, which she doesn’t normally do.

“I walked into the living room to see what was happening and there was a man at my back door.

"He wasn’t in my living room but the door that he was at links to my living room.

“He was hooded up, with something in his hand.

“It looked like he was trying to open my door. All I could see was his hand on my door handle, but he had something in the other hand.

“I ran to get my phone to call the police and, as I turned back around, he was gone.”

“I was in my kitchen and I could hear my dog growling, which she doesn’t normally do. I walked into the living room to see there was a man at my back door - Diana Lea

It attempted break-in happened last Wednesday.

The man is described as white, 6ft, slim, wearing a light grey tracksuit with the hood up.

Miss Lea, who works as a carer, is now warning other Island residents to keep their doors and windows locked at all times.

She said: “I want to advise other people to make sure their doors and windows are secured and locked, whether they are in or out and whether it is night or day. This happened in broad daylight.

“I was just so shocked and frightened as I was on my own at the time and I didn’t know what was going to happen.

“I just wanted to call the police and my partner. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Police confirmed they were investigating.