'Burglars' shot by homeowner during a break-in are discharged from hospital and face police questioning



Andy Ferrie, 35, and his wife Tracey, 43, have been arrested on suspicion of GBH

Local MP Tory Alan Duncan spoke out in support saying they should be free to defend their property



Couple had been burgled multiple times and were hoping to start a new life in Australia



Police received 999 call from homeowner Mr Ferrie, who allegedly opened fire on intruders at the isolated cottage in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Four men have been detained on suspicion of aggravated burglary

Two men who attended hospital after incident discharged



Supporter: Alan Duncan MP said the couple should have a right to defend their property

Two alleged burglars shot during a break-in have both now been discharged from hospital and put in police custody, officers revealed today.



And homeowners Andy Ferrie, 35, and his wife Tracey, 43, who were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, are still being held, it also emerged.



Police were given extra time to question the couple who were arrested after dialling 999 in the early hours of Sunday when their home near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, was broken into by four men.

Businessman Mr Ferrie, who runs a mobile home and caravan repair business, has told police he fired a legally-owned shotgun at the alleged intruders, injuring two.

At around the same time, one of the injured men called an ambulance, and the second man later admitted himself to hospital.

Now police say the 27-year-old man was discharged from hospital this afternoon and are now in police custody.



A spokesman said: 'The two men who did attend hospital, aged 33 and 27 years old, are now in police custody for questioning.'



As the couple remained in custody, their local MP, Tory Alan Duncan, spoke out in support of them, declaring they were the ‘victims’ and should be free to defend their property.

International development minister Mr Duncan argued: ‘If this is a straightforward case of someone using a shotgun to defend themselves against burglars in the dead of night, then I would hope that the police will prosecute the burglars and not my constituents.

‘The householder is the victim here and justice should support them and prosecute the burglars.’

The two men and two alleged accomplices were all arrested at the hospital and the pair’s injuries are not life-threatening.

Analysis: Leicestershire Police cordoned off the stone cottage, which had reportedly been burgled several times already

Taking notes: Police were first called to the property shortly after midnight on September 2, by homeowner Mr Ferrie

Last night, Mr and Mrs Ferrie were still being held by police, more than 36 hours after the terrifying raid.



The case comes as the Government prepares to introduce legislation to clarify the law on a homeowner’s right to defend their property from intruders. The debate first rose to prominence in 1999 when farmer Tony Martin shot dead 16-year-old Fred Barras at his Norfolk home.

The farmer received a life sentence for murder at Norwich Crown Court in April 2000, but this was reduced by the Appeal Court to five years for manslaughter and he was released in 2003.

Last night the millionaire businessman who led the campaign against the conviction of Mr Martin said the arrest of the Ferries showed the rights of homeowners were still unclear.

Police examine a shotgun after attending reports of a shooting at the 200-year-old property

Mr and Mrs Ferrie were held after suspected burglars were shot at their home

Police stand at the front door of the property as they attend the scene of the shooting at Melton Mowbray Malcolm Starr added: ‘I do not think people should suffer the trauma of being arrested and held in a police station when they are visited by uninvited people in the middle of the night. The benefit of the doubt should lie with them.’ Magistrates yesterday granted Leicestershire Police an extra 36 hours to question the Ferries, along with the four men aged 27, 23, 31 and 33 who are being held on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

A police community support officer stands guard at a track near the isolated cottage

Mr Ferrie’s mother, Susan Spilner, 56, from Uppingham, Rutland, said the couple had been the victims of burglaries three or four times previously.

‘One of them was quite nasty,’ she added. ‘They have not been injured but property has been stolen.’

The couple first rented the cottage in Welby between 2001 and 2006 before buying their own home in Melton Mowbray.

But they moved back to the cottage this summer while they arranged a move to Australia, which is planned for next year. They decided to emigrate to a warmer climate because Mr Ferrie suffers from stiff joints. The hamlet where the cottage is located consists of just a church and handful of farm buildings and cottages.

Mr Ferrie’s stepfather Maris Spilner, 60, said his step-son was a ‘decent man’.

He said the shooting was ‘out of character’ but added: ‘If someone breaks into your home, it’s a violation of your privacy.’

Mr Ferrie’s father Joseph, from Syston, Leicester, added: ‘Andy and Tracey are law-abiding people who have never been in trouble before.

‘They live in the country – there are rats and all sorts and it is not unusual to own a shotgun. They would have been asleep in their beds, perhaps they heard the dogs barking and reacted. They must have been frightened. Anybody would be in that situation.’

Lyn Codwallader, a former neighbour who lived in Welby at the same time as the Ferries during their first stay in the hamlet, said the remote spot was an ‘easy target’ for burglars.

‘We moved in on the Saturday and were burgled by the Monday,’ she added. ‘They [Mr and Mrs Ferrie] were broken into as well that week and that was years ago. It is because it is in the middle of nowhere.’

The four suspected burglars, aged 23, 27, 31, and 33, were all arrested at Leicester Royal Infirmary