Granny foils intruder with gnome

Jean Collop threw one of her collection of gnomes at the man

A Cornish grandmother is being hailed a hero after taking on a night time intruder with a garden gnome.

Jean Collop from Wadebridge threw the gnome at a man climbing on the roof of her home in the early hours of Tuesday.

Her ordeal began when she heard someone climbing on her roof. She rushed outside to see the man heading towards a window.

Neighbours who were woken by her cries for help called the police and officers are now questioning a man.

'Brave neighbour'

She said: "I heard a big crash and rushed out in my nightdress and caught him out here.

"I politely told him not to move and grabbed one of my garden gnomes and threw it at him and hit him.

"He lay down for quite a while and didn't move."

The man then managed to traverse her roof and jump onto her neighbour's balcony.

Neighbour Liz Owen said: "I've got very brave neighbour, I really thought she'd be in more of a state."

Mrs Collop says she would not hesitate to take action against an intruder again but might think twice about her choice of weapon.