A man woke up to find an intruder in his house late at night, in what North Yorkshire Police described as a ‘scary situation’.
It happened after a burglar broke into a home in a village near Boroughbridge in the early hours yesterday (Wednesday).
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “The occupant was in the house at the time and was fast asleep when the intruder tried to enter.
“But the occupant woke up, startling the intruder who fled the scene.
“Within minutes we had units in the area and we spotted a parked van.
“We found a man in the hedgerow nearby and he was handcuffed and arrested.”
While at the scene, police received another report that some garden tools had just been stolen from a nearby property.
“A man in his 40s from the Barnsley area has been arrested on suspicion of burglary,” police said.
“He’s currently in our cells while our investigations continue.”
What to do
Would you know what to do if you found an intruder in your home?
Here’s advice from North Yorkshire Police:
- Your personal safety is the priority at all times. Lock yourself in the room you’re in if possible, or wedge the door shut.
- Call 999 at the first safe opportunity – we will respond as an utmost priority.
- Our call handlers will talk you through what to do. This advice will vary depending on the circumstances but will always be designed to keep you safe.
- People’s recollections are affected by trauma. So if you see anything such as the offender or their vehicle, write down the description as soon as possible.
- We’d never advise you to do anything that could put you in danger. However, if you did confront an intruder, you’d have a right to use reasonable force to protect yourself.
- Try not to touch anything and don’t tidy up before we arrive. This will give us the best chance of capturing evidence.
It’s worth remembering that while these incidents do happen, they are very rare.
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