A family came home to find the inside of their house covered in blood after their German Shepherd attacked an intruder while they were out.

When Tristan Murrin and his mother walked to the front door of their house, they did not notice anything wrong.

But once they stepped inside their Richmond home in Virgina, US, they discovered a scene likes something out of a horror film.

Mr Murrin told WRIC: "We noticed something when we walked in. I walked in with my mother and there were blood spots on the grounds, we looked upstairs and we could see trails of blood coming from upstairs going all the way down."

Pictures of the first floor of the house show blood splattered all over the carpet and the doors leading into rooms.

The family told the American broadcaster there had been several break-ins in the area and that they must have fallen victim to one too.

But the intruder did not expect to be greeted by the family's guard dog, which had stayed inside the house while his owners were out.

Nothing from the house was stolen but the family believes the intruder may have been in need of medical attention.

Mr Murrin said his German Shepherd had never been aggressive before and that he is known in the community for playing with young children.

"They know him as a big dog, the community loves him, the kids come up to him and want to touch him and play with him," he said.

But on this occasion, the guard dog "did its job", Mr Murrin added.

Police are investigating the incident but no-one has yet been arrested.

Independent News Service