An intruder who was scared off by a gnome-wielding Cornish grandmother has been released without charge.
Jean Collop, 69, from Wadebridge threw the gnome at a man climbing on the roof of her home in the early hours.

But the intruder was given a police caution and freed. Cautions can only be given if the offender admits what he is accused of.

Police said the move was within guidelines, but the victim said she felt “sorry” for the intruder.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said: “A 20-year old man was arrested and cautioned for an attempted burglary and possession of cannabis.

“There is guidance issued by the Crown Prosecution Service called the Charging Standard which outlines what custody sergeants should do in certain situations.

“But it is ultimately the custody sergeant’s discretion as to whether someone should be charged.”

The spokesman said that in this case he took into consideration that it was “attempted burglary rather than an actual burglary and the age and background of the person arrested. He has no serious previous convictions”.

Mrs Collop told BBC News that she sympathised with the police.

“They have so much paperwork to fill in, I am not surprised. But I think there should be some way of giving offenders like this a community service sentence.

“When I saw a picture of him I felt sorry for him. It was his first offence. He looked so innocent.”

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

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.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4453531.stm

Brilliant, I have a great image in my head of this! Fair play to the granny!