A pensioner who grappled with a Lithuanian burglar as he ransacked her home says he should be deported to save the taxpayer money.

Margaret Allen, 73, was speaking after Jurijus Kuznecovas was jailed for 16 months following the raid on her house in Albert Road, Canterbury.

Ex-hospital accommodations manager Mrs Allen hit headlines in October after CCTV footage emerged of her confronting Kuznecovas as he attempted to flee with treasured jewellery.

She now says it is a further crime that the government will foot the hefty bill during his time in jail.

“He should have been sent straight back home to serve his sentence,” she said.

“The only door closing behind him should have been the one on the aeroplane flying him back to Lithuania.

“Why should taxpayers have to foot the bill for him to be kept in our prisons?

“They say he will be deported afterwards, but there’s a good chance he’ll just disappear somewhere here and the authorities will lose track of him.”

Camera footage recorded outside Mrs Allen’s home revealed Kuznecovas had been in her home for 11 minutes before she caught him coming down the stairs.

She had left her front door open briefly while she picked litter up in a neighbouring cemetery.

Her 81-year-old husband was at home but because of his illness was attached to a feeding tube in a separate room.

“I was more angry than frightened and just wanted this man out of my house,” she said.

“I got hold of this chap and literally bundled him out of the door. I dialled 999 and was shouting out to neighbours for help.

“Afterwards, friends said I was lucky he didn’t have a knife because there was a bit of a tussle, but I didn’t think of that at the time.”

Forensic officers discovered blood at the house and traced it back to Kuznecovas, who was later arrested.

The 29-year-old admitted burglary and was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court.

As Kuznecovas was given a custodial sentence of more than 12 months, his case will automatically be referred to the Home Office.

It will decide whether to deport the burglar back to Lithuania upon his release, which will likely be this autumn.

Mrs Allen concedes it is likely she will never again see some of the stolen jewellery, which included several watches and a charm bracelet with sentimental value.

But she has been left heartened by friends at Pilgrims’ Way School in Canterbury, where she volunteers, helping with cookery classes and children’s reading.

“When they heard about the burglary, they all chipped in to buy me flowers, a card and even had a collection so I could replace the bracelet I lost,” she said.

“It really was very thoughtful and I was quite moved by it.”