Residents are itching to form a vigilante group to stop a prowler creeping outside their homes, a community leader warns.

The mystery man roams the streets in the early hours peering into people’s windows and it is not known why.

He has not been linked to any burglaries or attacks in the area but has been prowling around the same Dover neighbourhood for a year.

Now residents’ group chairman Keith Sansum has warned police that some locals are getting more worried and restless and they want action.

Cllr Sansum has told police in a letter: “We have some members of the community talking about being (in) a vigilante group, which we are opposing, but the community wants to feel safe.”

He added: “Locals are now asking if the police have stopped this person to find out his intentions.

“Whilst this person continues to peer in windows at such an hour many times a week locals are concerned.”

The young man is lurking around the Clarendon and Westbury area of Dover, going right inside front gardens to peer directly into ground floor windows.

He has been filmed on private CCTV as late as 3am, often targeting Westbury Road but also other streets such as Clarendon Place, Clarendon Street and Longfield Road.

The first sightings of him were reported last July.

Police had received CCTV of his movements by last October when the Mercury was also given the opportunity to view the video.

Cllr Sansum, a ward member for Dover Town Council, has now written as chairman of Clarendon and Westbury Community Association, to Insp Ian Swallow at Dover Police Station.

Cllr Sansum’s letter added: “Hopefully you can investigate this case and look to stop this person to find out his intentions.

”A number of houses have been recently burgled in the area, plus flowers were stolen from gardens in Folkestone Road last month."

But there is no proof that this prowler is behind these offences.

A woman resident, who did not want to be named, said: “This man’s behaviour is very strange and suspicious.

"Women are especially wary because they don’t like someone like that peering into their windows.

“There has been talk of a group of vigilantes forming over this but most people don’t want that and we’d rather push the police to take action.”

A woman resident, who did not want to be named, said: “This man’s behaviour is very strange and suspicious.

"Women are especially wary because they don’t like someone like that peering into their windows.

“There has been talk of a group of vigilantes forming over this but most people don’t want that and we’d rather push the police to take action.”

Insp Swallow said: “We were made aware of an issue concerning a man acting suspiciously in the Westbury Road area of Dover in July last year and carried out initial inquiries.

"Officers reviewed CCTV at the time and carried out extra patrols in the area, however the man was not located and no offences were identified.

“We have now received a further report from a resident who has raised concerns that this man continues to act suspiciously in the area.

“We will carry out inquiries into the circumstances, including reviewing any recent CCTV.”