It is hard to imagine how we would react if we found a burglar lurking in our house — even more so when there was a frail relative inside.

That was the situation facing Michael Ireson when he saw heroin addict and serial burglar Sylvia Martin creep down the stairs of his 95-year-old aunt’s home in Risinghurst, Oxford.

Without a thought for his own safety, he wrestled her at the bottom of the stairs and waited for police to arrive.

She was arrested and was yesterday jailed for three years.

Amazingly, she committed the burglary just hours after appearing at Oxford Crown Court earlier that day to admit another break-in.

Martin has a string of convictions dating back to 1989.

Although she didn’t steal anything, we applaud Mr Justice John Saunders, who labelled Martin a perpetual burglar, for jailing her for three years.