A 10-YEAR-OLD girl has been left traumatised after she allegedly found someone crouched in the shadows of her back garden in Sidemoor, wearing a 'Scream mask' and holding a scythe.

The girl's grandmother, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted the Advertiser after police failed to find the suspicious individual following the incident in Laburnum Grove last night (Tuesday, July 18).

Her grandaughter was taking her new puppy outside before bed at around 10.30pm when she reported seeing the fearsome figure 'hiding' round the side of the house.

"My 10-year-old grandaughter opened the back door to let her puppy out as she always does and was confronted by someone in a Scream mask crouched near the bushes," she said. "They were carrying a pole with a hook on the end and they looked straight at her. It completely terrified her and she ran into the house screaming.

"My daughter locked all the doors and rang me distressed and then called the police.

"There's a very very old lady living nextdoor and I dread to think what would have happened if she had found them - she'd have had a heart attack. My grandaughter has had to stay at home today because she couldn't sleep at all after what happened.

"They'd obviously ran off by the time police got there so they didn't catch them. They're still out there and I just think people should be warned. Hopefully somebody saw them and can help catch them."

West Merica Police confirmed officers were called to a property on the street last night to reports of 'suspicious circumstances'.

"Investigations are ongoing," a police spokesman said.