Residents in north Edinburgh are on red alert after police were called out to an 'attempted break-in' last week.
The incident occurred at around 2am according to cops, who raced to the scene on Drum Brae Drive shortly after a call was made to operating staff.
They say that the intruder had left the scene by the time they had arrived and that they were unable to trace the man.
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It is understood the family was awoken by their dog barking before the husband went into the spare bedroom to have a look out of the window.
It is believed that the husband then spotted a man who was stood in the back garden with a brick in his hands, which the family believe he was going to use to gain entry to the property as he smashed the back door handle completely off.
The husband is then understood to have confronted the man by opening the back door but the man appeared to be inebriated and said that he was looking for a friends house.
When the culprit was confronted about the door handle he is said to have taken off.
Those within the household then called 101 where police are understood to have responded to the scene of the incident.
Officers said that enquiries were ongoing.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland, said: "Around 2.05 am on Thursday, 14 October, 2021, police received a report of an intruder within the garden of a property in Drum Brae Drive, Edinburgh.
"Police attended however the intruder had left the scene and was not traced.
"The intruder did not gain entry and nothing was stolen from the property.
"Enquiries are ongoing in respect of a vandalism to the property."
