Brave Brit widow, 84, fights off burglar with walking stick!

London, Jan 20 (ANI): An elderly widow from New Milton, Hants, has won police bravery award after she sent a burglar screaming from her home by battering him with a walking stick.

84-year-old Doris Thiele hit 6ft 4in Leon Ingram round the head for eight minutes while her daughter Helen held him in a headlock, reports the Sun.

Terrified Ingram, 34, smashed his way through the conservatory doors with his head to get away. The serial burglar left a trail of blood to a nearby flat, where he was arrested.

"I hope this sends a strong message to other burglars. If someone else comes they'll get more of the same," 5ft 3in Doris said.

Heroin user Ingram - described as a "one-man crimewave" - was jailed for three years after admitting burglary at Southampton Crown Court. He had 32 previous convictions. (ANI)