Bash a burglar

Cute but if I catch him in my house...

First we had David Cameron's "Hug a hoodie" now we've moved up to Deathcon 3 with "bash a burglar."

Personally I couldn't agree more and I'm sure many home owners do. After all your home is your castle and once the drawbridge is up that's it. Everyone's priority is the defence of their family and then property.

In all honesty who has woken in the middle of the night to a strange noise and gone for a patrol around the house armed with a hairbrush, hand mirror or baseball bat? (I've got an oak Japanese practice sword in my room that I've carried more than once)

Obviously the intent is never to kill or cause seriously injury to anyone, merely to "persuade" any intruder to put down the X-box and get out of my house. With the police dealing with a large workload & often slow response times, especially in rural areas, you can't expect people to meekly gather the sleeping children up into your room, close the door and wait.

It has indeed been a spell of madness where intruders have successfully won cases against home owners for injuries incurred whilst either breaking into or within your home caused by you or through slips and falls. If anything, by breaking the Social contract and law they waive those rights.

Obviously I'm not condoning murder or severe injury, indeed the watch words that David Cameron used in his announcement was that it was about "Reasonable force" and obviously that didn't mean stabbing unconscious men etc.

Going back to my Grandfather's Police days the law was clear. Don't kill them but you could use anything EXCEPT a spring loaded trap to defend your home. So no bear traps...

Personally I welcome this move which puts a modicum of power back in the hands of the victim to deter criminals but also means that you cannot do what you like to the burglar or form a lynchmob.