Police have released a sketch of an intruder who entered the home of a 61-year-old woman as she slept on the couch.

At about 2.45pm on Tuesday, February 28, the woman was asleep on the couch at a Dinsdale residence and woke up to discover an unknown man in the house.

The man punched her twice in the face before leaving the property with the woman's handbag says Detective Maree Stevenson.

The man is described as Maori, chubby, and aged in his early 20s.

'He has black, scruffy hair (collar length at the back) and he had a distinctive tattoo of a Celtic cross on his neck.

A similar design to the intruder's neck tattoo.

'The cross is described as being silver in colour and filled in, with an outline of a decorative design around the edges. He was wearing a plain grey marl t-shirt.” Maree says someone will recognise this person or his tattoo.

'The woman was very shaken by the incident and finding the person responsible will go a long way to providing her with some reassurance.”

Anyone with any information on who this person might be is asked to call Hamilton Police station on 07 858 6200.

Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.