Hunt for sex predator in northern NSW

Residents in a northern NSW community are being urged to secure their homes after a sexual predator assaulted two children while they slept in their beds.

Police say a man broke into three separate homes in Kingscliff in the early hours of Wednesday and went to children's rooms in two of them.

A 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl have told police a man sat on the end of their bed and touched them.

Tweed Heads Detective Inspector Brendon Cullen says both children are traumatised.

"We are asking people to be vigilant - be vigilant about their home security and be vigilant about their children's security," he told the Nine Network on Friday.

Crime scenes were set up at both Pearl Street homes and police have searched the Kingscliff area but found no sign of the suspect.

He is described as being thin with dark hair and bushy eyebrows and aged in his 20s or 30s. He also has a strong body odour and may be homeless, Insp Cullen said.

"We are extremely keen to get information from anyone who might have seen anything or may not have reported to police that there has been a prowler for instance or that they've seen suspicious people in their streets," he told ABC Radio.