Man seized after shooting intruders at his East Midlands home

A home owner has been arrested after he shot two suspected burglars at his remote East Midlands home.

The man and his wife were disturbed by the break-in in the Welby area of Leicestershire, near Melton Mowbray, in the early hours of yesterday morning. It is understood he grabbed a shotgun, which was legally owned, and shot two of the four intruders before calling police. The man, 35, and his 43-year-old wife were arrested in Melton on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. Neither suffered any injuries during the incident.

A spokeswoman for Leicestershire Police said that shortly after the force received the call, at around 12.30am, the ambulance service was called to treat a man with shotgun injuries. It is understood that the call was made by one of the suspected burglars.

Later, a second man was treated for shotgun injuries after presenting himself at Leicester Royal Infirmary. Their injuries are not life-threatening, police said. The two men, along with two others, were arrested at the hospital on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

The case could revive the debate about what powers home owners have to defend their property, an issue which became heated following the case of Tony Martin, who killed a burglar and wounded another when he shot them in his house in 1999. He was convicted of murder but that was reduced to manslaughter on appeal.

PA