A long alligator broke into home, terrified a woman, 77, and left a trail of destruction as it ransacked her kitchen

An alligator measuring nearly 3.5 metres broke through a kitchen window in Clearwater, Florida, terrifying residents as it left a trail of wreckage, according to police.

Clearwater Police Department posted photos and video on Twitter of the ungainly gator showing off its toothy grin amid a pair of toppled chairs, the New York Post reported.

It was still dark when the massive beast raided the kitchen through the home’s ground-level windows, the department said in a tweet.

Apparently disappointed by the slim pickings it found in the kitchen, the alligator proceeded to throw a wine-bottle-smashing tantrum worthy of a tempremental Hollywood star

We know you've been chomping at the bit for more visuals from today's alligator trespassing in Clearwater🐊 The male alligator was 10 to 11 feet in length. During the apprehension, the alligator knocked over several bottles of wine. The red liquid in the video is wine, not blood. pic.twitter.com/x6ktib6ajl

— Clearwater Police Department (@myclearwaterPD) May 31, 2019

The red liquid in the video is wine, not blood, local police tweeted, alongside footage showing a trapper trying to rein in the raging reptile.

Resident Mary Wischhusen, 77, was on her way to the bathroom at around 3:30am when she heard a loud crash and discovered her unwelcome house guest, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Police and a trapper wrangled in the ‘gator and no-one was hurt. Picture: TwitterSource:Supplied

All I had was a vision of a huge head, Wischhusen said. A big head looking at me saying, ‘Hey!’

The elderly woman locked herself in her bedroom while officers and trappers arrived.

All trussed up and nowhere to go. Picture: TwitterSource:Supplied

I don’t know why he wanted my red wine, but he got my red wine, Wischhusen said of the ‘gator.