Shocking home CCTV footage shows a man peering into a home before saying 'There's people in there. I can't break into your house.'

The footage captured by a resident of Rectory Road in Deal has been shared with KentOnline to help raise awareness.

The would-be burglar's bizarre mumblings caught on camera

It shows a male in a grey hoodie wandering around the driveway of the home before peering through a window.

He is then recorded reading aloud a sign within the porch which says: "Home sweet home."

He continues: "There's people in there. I can't break into your house. ******* tight."

The footage was taken at 8.25am on Sunday and has now been passed to police.

Police have taken a copy of the film and provided safety advice to the homeowners.

A spokesman said: "Kent Police was called at 10.32am on Sunday, December 8 to a report a man had been recorded on a privately held camera behaving suspiciously in Rectory Road, Deal.

"Officers have collected CCTV from the address and have provided safety advice to the informants."

Another resident has claimed to have witnessed a similar incident in Ranelagh Road in Deal the following day - although police say they are not formally linking them at this stage.

The man, who KentOnline is not naming, said: "We saw a person looking in people's windows.

"Then he started going in to people's gardens so we stuck around and phoned the police to keep an eye on him.

"He was mumbling and talking to himself.

"When the police came - they were there in no more than five minutes - he ran off and disappeared."

A spokesman said: "Kent Police was called at 8.01pm on Monday, December 9 to a report a man had been seen behaving suspiciously in Ranelagh Road, Deal.

"Officers attended the scene and conducted an area search but the individual was not located.

"Initial inquiries to establish the full circumstances are under way."

Read more: All the latest news from Deal