A man defended his home from four armed burglars by hacking pieces out of them with a Samurai sword.

Dias Costa, 49, slashed the face, arms, and necks of the raiders, who fled the property in a getaway car while dripping with blood.

The burglary took place late at night in the Cerro Norte neighbourhood of Cordoba, in central Argentina - and all of the men are currently in intensive care.

Painful deterrent: The disastrous burglary attempt took place in the Cerro Norte neighbourhood of Cordoba, in central Argentina - and all of the men are currently in intensive care

Mr Costa, 49, and his wife Christina, 48, were asleep when the men, who were armed with two pistols, broke in at around 3.30am.

Police commissioner Mariano Zarate said: 'In a moment when the attackers were not paying attention, the house owner took a samurai sword and defended himself, injuring the attackers and making them run away.'

In the panic, the thieves only managed to steal the equivalent of £278 and fled in a Peugeot 206 car which was parked outside.

Bleeding heavily, the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit a stationary car forcing all four to go to hospital for emergency treatment.

Police initially arrested two men and one woman, but another man who hid was forced to come back to hospital the next day due to serious sword injuries.

The Costa family have moved in with relatives as they fear they might be targeted in revenge attacks.

Prosecutor Jorgelina Guties said: 'We could not yet question the victim of the burglary as he is still in a state of shock'.

Bleeding heavily: One of the burglars sits in the back of a police vehicle badly injured after being attacked with the Samurai sword

In a bad way: A burglar whose face was slashed by the sword sits in the back of a police vehicle before later being treated in hospital

Stitched up: The man has been left with a huge scar from where surgeons stitched his face back together

Covered in blood: In the panic, the thieves only managed to steal the equivalent of £278 and fled in a Peugeot 206 car which was parked outside