A FARMER punched twice by an intruder who broke into his home in the middle of the night has spoken of his anger after the man was given a caution.

Clifford Pearson was punched once in the face and once in the chest before he could wrestle the 20-year-old to the ground.

Police confirmed that the intruder admitted charges of common assault and trespass, but said he was given a caution because it was his first offence and there had been insufficient evidence to press more serious charges.

The 48-year-old poultry farmer, who initially praised the police response to his girlfriend’s 999 call, said it was “unbelievable”

that a stranger could break into his home and escape punishment.

The incident happened at 3am on Sunday after Mr Pearson was woken by unusual noises and found the intruder in the bathroom of his home, at South Thornborough Farm, Thirsk Road, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

After a short scuffle, Mr Pearson was able to pin the intruder to the ground and hold him for ten minutes until the police arrived.

He said: “There were eight police cars that turned up at the house and they were very professional and dealt with the man straight away.

“They said I had done well to keep hold of him and they seemed confident that he would be prosecuted.

“A few hours later, I was getting a call to say that he had been given a caution.

I don’t understand how that can happen.

“They said he claimed he was drunk, but I was laid on top of him for ten minutes and I couldn’t smell alcohol.

“If he had thrown two punches while drunk in Northallerton High Street, he would have been arrested and at least fined for drunk and disorderly behaviour.

“He assaulted me and got into my home and I just can’t understand how he can get away with it.”

The man got inside through an unlocked door. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police confirmed that an incident had taken place at the farm and said: “A 20- year-old man was given a caution for common assault following an incident at an address in Thirsk Road in the early hours of Sunday, May 8.

“However, there was not enough evidence to support a charge for any other offences.”