A BOROUGH councillor says it's 'tough' if burglars are injured by householders.

Sue Kettle's comments at Ellesmere Port & Neston Police Forum were met with calls of 'hear hear' from members of the audience.

She was asking senior officers about the Government's new leaflet clarifying that residents can legally use 'reasonable force' when tackling burglars in their homes.

Cllr Kettle said of the leaflet, distributed around the UK earlier this month: 'Is anyone who finds a burglar in their home going to stop and think 'what can I do legally'?'

'Some of us would stay and protect our home, and others would run away to safety.

'Are these guidelines really going to do anything to change that?' Cllr Kettle (Con, Sutton Green & Manor) told the Ellesmere Port Civic Hall meeting: 'If I'm in that situation, I'm going to do whatever is necessary, taking into account the situation and my circumstances.'

Detective Chief Inspector Jed Manley, Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston crime manager, told her: 'You can take whatever action is necessary to protect yourself.

'This is not about helping burglars who are injured during the course of a burglary.'

Hearing this, Cllr Kettle called out 'tough if they are injured', to cries of 'hear hear' from the audience.

DCI Manley emphasised that householders should only ever use 'reasonable force' to tackle an intruder. Anyone who takes revenge on a burglar or lays a trap for them will still be prosecuted.

He said the Government's clarification of the guidelines had stemmed from several high-profile cases in the media.