But the bungling criminal was caught when the householder spotted him shining a torchlight through his letterbox.
The incident happened at around 1.35am on Sunday morning and police arrived on the scene shortly after the crook left empty-handed.
Police admit that a similar trick has been effective in the past — and elsewhere in Scotland thieves have used similar tactics to swipe keys.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Police Scotland by phoning 101.
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