The programme speaks to two other pensioners who have shot and stabbed intruders but never faced a jury.

After eight burglaries and the loss of property worth �50,000 gardener Tony Evans had reached the end of his tether when he arrived back at his home near Ashford in Kent and found his front door forced and an intruder inside.

He grabbed his rabbit gun and accidentally shot the burglar in the leg. He was not even charged.

Terry Regan, a retired miner, stabbed an intruder at his home in South Yorkshire in the leg five times. GBH charges against him were eventually dropped.

Real Story also travels to the US where Bob Young teaches housewives how to kill intruders at a ranch in Arizona.

Then there's Darrell Frank from Texas. He set up an organisation called Dead Serious Inc which offered members a $5,000 reward for killing anyone who broke into their homes.

We also meet the mother of 16-year-old Anthony Choate who was shot dead by a stranger who found him high on drink and drugs in his garage.

Wendy Vogt talks for the first time about the fatal night and about the owner of the house who was cleared by a grand jury.

"He totally over-reacted," Mrs Vogt tells the programme.

Real Story: Monday 21 July at 1930 BST on BBC ONE and the Real Story website.