A 69-YEAR-OLD former soldier and his wife were viciously attacked as they fought off knife-wielding burglars who had broken into their home. The couple, who live in New Street, St Neots, told The Hunts Post how they were attacked by two men as they sat wa

A 69-YEAR-OLD former soldier and his wife were viciously attacked as they fought off knife-wielding burglars who had broken into their home.

The couple, who live in New Street, St Neots, told The Hunts Post how they were attacked by two men as they sat watching television early in the evening.

Despite a brave effort to defend themselves and eject the men from their home, the husband and wife, who want to remain anonymous, were overpowered and beaten.

The incident, which happened between 6.30 and 8pm on Thursday December 7, happened just days before Cambridgeshire North West MP Shailesh Vara started a campaign for increased rights for people who confront intruders in their own homes.

"It was very scary," said the 67-year-old woman. "I was sitting in the lounge watching Secret Rivers on the television and reading The Hunts Post when I felt a rush of cold air and then the door was flung open.

"Standing in the doorway was a man wearing a balaclava and holding a big kitchen knife. That image will stay with me for ever."

One of men shouted for the couple to get on the floor and then demanded £100.

"I then shouted my husband's name and the knife man said: 'Shut up or I will kill you' and put the knife to my neck.

"If he had pushed any harder it would have gone into my skin."

The woman's husband, who was upstairs watching television when the men first entered the property, said: "I heard my wife call out my name so I walked out of my bedroom and was confronted with a balaclava clad man holding a knife and a crow bar."

But the intruder had not reckoned on the homeowner's 20 years of military combat training and he took the knife out of the intruder's hand.

However, the husband said he was then hit over the head with the crowbar.

"He didn't knock me out so I got up and wrestled him down the stairs," he said.

"The whole time I was thinking about the safety of my wife but at the back of my head I was also thinking about the (Norfolk farmer) Tony Martin case telling myself not to kill this man because I didn't want to go to prison."

It was at this point the second intruder was alleged to have jabbed the knife at the husband while his wife tried to tackle the intruders with a garden fork.

The couple put up such a brave fight that the intruders fled empty handed.

After they fled, the woman, who has lived in the area for 30 years, called the police and her husband was taken to Hinchingbrooke Hospital, where he had five stitches to his head.

"I never expected anything like this to happen in St Neots," said the woman. "I shouldn't feel scared and be terrorised in my own home."

# Two men, both aged 21, from St Neots have been released on police bail until January 30.