Boy, 15, stabbed tackling '˜ninja' burglars in Houghton Regis

Charlie McGhee was at Millers Way in the early hours of yesterday morning when the would-be burglars struck.

Brave Charlie and his brother Joshua, 16, confronted the two yobs with their dad Arthur. Charlie pinned one of the men down until police arrived at around 1am.

But after releasing the man to police, the teenager realised he had been stabbed in the hand. He is now recovering in hospital.

Distraught dad Arthur told the Gazette: “Charlie hung on to him until police arrived. He went all the way through with it.

“They stabbed him so hard it went down to the bone. There’s still blood in the house while we’re waiting for forensics to arrive.”

Describing how events unfolded, dad-of-three Mr McGhee said the family were at home at 1am when two men entered the house.

His 11-year-old daughter and her friend raised the alarm.

“The door was open as my elder son’s friend had just left and he’d gone up to get the key. When the girls looked out they saw these two men coming into the house.

“They were dressed as ninjas. One was all in black and the other all in white. You could see nothing but a little space between their eyes.”

Arthur and his two sons – both of whom practice karate – confronted the men and apprehended one of them until police arrived.

Mr McGhee added: “These people can’t get away with it, somebody’s got to make a stand.

“I’m so proud of my sons and my daughter. I’m just glad it wasn’t worse than it could have been. These people go out with knives in their pockets and they are prepared to use them.”

An East of England Ambulance spokesman said: “We were called just after 1am to reports that a teenager had been injured in an incident on Millers Way in Houghton Regis. A senior paramedic was on scene in under four minutes, and after care at the scene he was taken to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital for further treatment.”

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said a 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary, while the accomplice fled the scene.

Anyone with information to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 12 of August 19.