A pensioner dressed only in his pyjamas scared off three burglars he found breaking into a neighbour’s property.

Brian Staley confronted the thieves as they tried to get into an agricultural store next to his home in Littlebourne.

The 73-year-old was woken by the gang as they were cutting their way through the doors of the building, which is home to thousands of pounds worth of farming machinery.

He said: "I was sleeping with the window open because it was a warm night and heard a clang of what sounded like metal hitting the ground.

"I walked up the garden path in my pyjamas and slippers and saw two youngish-looking men on the outside of the store cutting through the doors.

"I shouted out something like ‘what the hell are you up to?’ and they ran off into the woods.

"I was about to go back into the house to phone the police when a Land Rover came up the lane with another man at the wheel. I think they had found a trailer which they were about to attach to it.

"When I turned to face it, the driver reversed at speed back onto the main A257.

"It was just lucky nothing was coming because he went straight back onto the main road."

Mr Staley, who is a city councillor for Little Stour and lives at the Littlebourne Nurseries, added: "I suppose I was fortunate they decided to scarper because I wouldn’t have been able to take them on.

"Perhaps in my younger days when I was a bit of a bull in a china shop, I would have had a go.

"But maybe just the sight of me in my pyjamas scared them off."

The attempted burglary happened at about 4am last Thursday. Police patrols searched the area but could not find the thieves.

Mr Staley said: "We have quite an active neighbourhood watch scheme but obviously feel a bit vulnerable in a rural area, so need to look out for each other and report anything suspicious."