We have all heard mysterious noises in our home at one point or another.
Normally, it is a gust of wind or fallen object, and nothing more. But one couple got the shock of a lifetime when they went to investigate an unusual noise.
And they found an otter had trashed their home before jumping into their bed.
Linda Goldie, 73, and her husband Peter, 70, were unwinding at their holiday home in Skinburness, Cumbria, when the cheeky creature snuck inside.
It is believed the intruder squeezed through a pet gate, designed to stop the couple's cat Millie from escaping.
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here
After its tiring escapades, creating havoc in the living room, the otter then headed for a snooze in bed, where it was discovered.
Linda, a retired town clerk, was reading a book in her conservatory when she heard the commotion indoors, and assumed it was Millie. Luckily, Peter decided to investigate.
And he discovered a trail of destruction, leading to their bedroom.
In the living room, cushions had been scattered and a candle holder knocked to the floor.
Some of Millie's cat food had also been eaten, though the missing food was found in a pile of sick on the carpet.
But the culprit hadn't gone far, as Peter realised when he reached the bedroom and pulled back the covers.
There he found the brazen otter curled up asleep on their bed.
Linda, a grandma-of-two from Shildon, County Durham, said: "My husband had told me that he had seen an otter in the garden and it had just ran off.
"I wasn't really concerned at first- I just went into the conservatory to read my book.
"I remember hearing a rattle at the pet gate, and now I look back it must have been the otter.
"Peter went in to check on Millie, and found the house in a right mess.
"The cushions were everywhere, the candle set was in pieces on the floor and there was sick on the carpet.
"That's when he went in to the bedroom and found the otter asleep on our bed.
"He walked out and told me and I couldn't believe it - it was such a shock to us both!
With the help of a man who they'd hired to clean their oven that day, Peter, a retired site manager, shooed the otter off their bed and down on to the carpet.
But it was in no rush to leave, pausing to nosy under Linda's dresser, before casually making its way down the hallway and out the door.
"It sauntered down the hall like it owned the place - it was hilarious," said Linda.
She added: "I've washed the sheets and had the carpets cleaned since its impromptu visit.
"The cat was really frightened, but we're just thankful they didn't cross paths as that could have ended very badly."
Do you have a story to share? We pay for stories. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
