A HOUSEHOLDER tied a burglar to a lawnmower after catching him in his garage.

Ian Fairwood was woken at dawn by a phone call from his neighbour, who said someone was in his garage.

The 52-year-old civil servant, of Helperby, near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, grabbed a garden fork and crept in, catching the burglar unaware.

He said: "I went in very quietly, so he did not see or hear me.

"I said 'What are you doing?', and he leapt like a thousand volts of electricity had passed through him."

The father-of-two then told him to get face-down on to the floor, while he waited for his neighbour to arrive.

He tied his hands and feet with garden twine, before attaching his hands to the ride-on lawnmower.

Mr Fairwood said: "I wanted to make sure he could not get away.

"I felt apprehensive and nervous about what I was doing, but I did it without thinking.

"I suppose I was just acting on instinct. I would probably do it again, but hopefully I will not have to."

Inspector Val Broadley, of Thirsk police, said: "It is always a difficult one to call, and we would normally advise people not to intervene in these circumstances.

"I believe the gentleman looked at what assistance was available to him before going into the garage."

An 18-year-old youth will appear before Northallerton magistrates charged with burglary.