Memo to anyone considering a career as a burglar: if you must rob a home, make sure it's not one owned by a world-ranked kick boxer first!
In something that he will clearly live to regret, a burglar picked the wrong house to raid when he ended up being chased and caught by an international class kick boxer.
When Tracey Lowe of Cradley Heath, heard a noise in her house at 3am she thought it was her son Richard Cole coming home late. When she went downstairs to see what was going on she found herself in the living room face to face with a burglar.
Her screams alerted Richard, who will represent England at the World Kickboxing Championships in the summer, and her husband Duncan, who is a first dan black belt in the sport, and they gave chase...
Game over at that point for the burglar don't you think?
Tracey said:
"When I opened the living room door I expected to see Richard but there was a stranger just standing there staring at me. It was like that for several seconds, it was surreal. Then I just screamed and Richard and Duncan came running down the stairs. The burglar fled through the kitchen window where he came in and they raced after him in their pants."
Duncan went back to get his car as Richard chased the burglar over neighbouring properties. The chase ended when he caught the thief on nearby rail tracks where he pinned him down, despite a violent struggle. Richard restrained the man until police officers with dogs located them.
Tracey added: "The police were so pleased and thanked Richard for his bravery."
Richard said he was motivated by the anger that his pregnant mum had been scared and his 12-year-old sister Elle was asleep upstairs at the time. "I just thought 'you're not getting away from me', he said.
Bet the burglar wished he had though...
We're pretty sure he won't be trying burglary again anytime soon!