Little Tilly Weisskopf slept through a massive police hunt for her.

The four-year-old lay curled tightly inside the duvet on her parents’ bed, oblivious to the noise of the police helicopter overhead and officers searching yards away.

Her frantic mother Christa called the police to their home in Eyles Road, Devizes, on Friday afternoon.

Mrs Weisskopf, 42, said: “Tilly had been playing upstairs and I was downstairs with my sister when I realised I hadn’t seen her for a while, so I went to look for her. I was calling her and shouting out if she was there, but there was no response.”

Her other children, Daisy, nine, and seven-year-old Woody joined the hunt while her sister, Karin, drove around the area.

Mrs Weisskopf called the police just after 3pm and they quickly sent ten officers and community support officers, a dog handler and the helicopter.

Police checked the house and were joined by concerned neighbours outside.

Mrs Weisskopf, a housewife, said: “I felt sick and everything goes through your mind about what could have happened to Tilly.”

The search ended happily after 50 minutes when an officer and Mrs Weisskopf found Tilly under the duvet.

“It was a huge relief to find her safe and well,” said Mrs Weisskopf. “She wasn’t upset or panicked but when I told her the police had been looking all over the house for her, including in the fridge, she thought it was funny.

“She said she had hidden under the duvet and fallen asleep. I think she was hiding from Daisy and Woody but they didn’t realise. Tilly had gone right under the duvet cover and it just looked like an unmade bed.

“I am so grateful to the police for the way they responded and I feel terrible about wasting their time. I also wish to thank the residents who helped search for Tilly. They brought cakes to the children afterwards.”

Sgt Ian Thomas of Devizes Police said: “We flooded the area with officers as soon as we were informed that a four-year-old girl was missing. Very rarely is it anything suspicious but our concerns are for the child’s welfare in case they may cause harm to themselves.”

He said officers checked the duvet initially but missed Tilly because she was so tightly wrapped in it.