Sleeping Vic tourist grabbed by intruder

A sleeping Melbourne tourist has woken to find a shirtless intruder grabbing her and trying to get into her bed.

Police say the man got into the Ackland Street, St Kilda apartment via an unlocked door at about 4am (AEDT) last Saturday.

He walked along several corridors before entering a bedroom where four female tourists were sleeping.

The man then took off his top, pulled back the blankets on one of the women's beds and grabbed her arm and leg as tried to get into her bed.

All four women in the room woke up and confronted the man, ushering him out of the apartment block and onto the street.

The man waited for about five minutes before re-entering the apartment block via another unlocked door.

He then approached another woman in a bathroom and attempted to follow her back to her room but she managed to lock the door and prevent him from entering.

The man is believed to be of African appearance, aged in his mid 20s, about 183-185 centimetres tall with a shaved head.

He was wearing a grey hooded top with a white Compton logo, green and white long-sleeved shirt, dark-coloured long pants and dark-coloured shoes with white laces.

Police released an image of the man on Friday.