Grandmother finds unwelcome guest secretly living in her attic after 'loud thud'

A grandmother who believed she had a large possum residing in her loft has made a chilling discovery of a far more alarming intruder living within her home.

The pensioner, who lives alone in a Housing Trust property in Adelaide, South Australia, began noticing a series of unsettling incidents from late 2025.

She heard strange noises coming from above, her cat grew increasingly agitated, and various household items had vanished without explanation.

“Lots of different things or items went missing, but I thought, ‘no, maybe I’ve misplaced them’,” the woman told Australian news outlet 7NEWS.

The shocking truth was revealed when a tremendous thud reverberated throughout her home in the early hours of the morning.

“There was this humungous bang,” she said.

“It sounded like somebody had almost fallen through the roof.”

She cowered in fear as expletives rang out from her ceiling.

“I was too freaked out to ring the police because I thought if I made a noise, whoever was up there would come down,” she said.

Officers subsequently searched the property and confirmed that an unidentified squatter had established a concealed camp within the ceiling cavity.

A makeshift bed, shoes, crockery, tins of food and drugs were uncovered in the woman’s loft space.

It is thought the intruder gained access to the roof space through damaged roof tiles before creeping down into the property while the elderly resident was sleeping. Months of terrifying peculiarities suddenly became clear to the grandmother, including her toilet seat repeatedly being found raised and fresh contents appearing in the bowl.

“There’s been someone up there this whole time, getting up and down in my home when I’ve been asleep,” she said.

“I got quite upset, and I thought, no, this is not right.”

The pensioner revealed she had repeatedly raised concerns about the suspicious noises with the Housing Trust prior to the discovery, yet nobody was dispatched to assist her.

“They make you out to feel like you’re stupid,” she explained.

In an official statement, the Housing Trust maintained that it takes tenant safety seriously.

Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Nick Champion, told Australian news site news.com.au that the Housing Trust was made aware of concerns last week.

He confirmed it has since visited the property on multiple occasions to ensure the home is secure.

The roof has been repaired and the locks replaced, he added.

“The Housing Trust will continue to work with the tenant to ensure she feels safe in her home.

“I encourage anyone who has immediate fears for their safety in their home or if they think someone is trespassing on their property to contact police who are the appropriate agency to deal with this,” he said.

A South Australian Police spokesperson has told news.com.au that investigations are ongoing.