Lady And The Tramp never caused so much trouble for their neighbours when they romanced over a bowl of spaghetti.

But unlike the love story of the hound who wooed the pooch in the hit Disney film, one real-life stray made residents' lives a misery in its attempts to get a date.

The abandoned dog camped for hours outside John Scrace's front door, howling and spraying its scent because Mr Scrace's 17-month-old Border collie bitch, Jemmie, was in season.

The dog's antics did not win favour from neighbours in Moyne Close, Hove, during its bid to attract the attention of the other pet.

Mr Scrace began to feel like a prisoner in his own home because he was hemmed in with Jemmie and his two other collies, Megan and Sadie, and could not take his pets for a walk.

He tried to lure the stray away with morsels of food but as soon as he ran back indoors, the dog was back in his garden.

He attempted to put it on a lead and walked almost a mile around the block but the dog returned.

He said: "In the end, I sprayed it with water. I'm an animal lover though and I didn't want to hurt it.

"I just thought water would do the trick and scare it off but it wouldn't go away.

"I felt sorry for it. All the neighbours were worried for the poor animal.

"I'm a responsible dog owner but I'm not so sure about the owners of this poor dog."

Mr Scrace called a string of animal welfare agencies but he was told there was nothing they could do. He was told no dog wardens were out on duty and neither the RSPCA nor the National Canine Defence league would come and fetch the hound.

Animal welfare charities say they will fetch an animal if it is injured or poorly but the responsibility for healthy strays lies with local authority dog wardens.

RSPCA spokeswoman Ros Varnes said all stray dogs were the responsibility of councils but the police took over the role at weekends when there were no wardens on duty.

Mr Scrace eventually took the dog to a Sussex Police pound near his home in Hove although he was scared it might bite him.

A dog warden was due to collect the stray yesterday.