SO NOW we hear Justice Minister Chris Grayling saying we can batter a burglar.

This allows homeowners to bash, shoot or even stab a burglar.

So where does a burglar stand in all this? I’ll tell you, the burglar who takes a screwdriver or such to break into your property will arm himself with a baseball bat, a knife or gun.

Do we really want Britain to arm itself with weapons as in America?

However, Mr Grayling also says, if you use disproportionate force, you face being hauled before a court.

So, I ask, how many times do you hit someone with a baseball bat? How many times to do you stab someone?

And how many bullets do you fire into someone before you are told it was disproportionate?

Mr Grayling’s predecessor Ken Clarke was stupid and too soft on crime, but Mr Grayling is only going to make things worse than they are.

He’s going too far the other way.

MR P HOWARD, Brome Place, Barton