A Christ­mas morn­ing bur­glary at a Bel­mont home did not go as planned for ban­dits who were beat­en by a 74-year-old man.  

Po­lice said five ban­dits en­tered the Erthig Road home around 3 am and kicked down the door of the bed­room.

The el­der­ly man armed him­self with a wood­en stick and at­tacked the sus­pects who ran out of the home. 

A pair of slip­pers and a hat worn by one of the ban­dits were left be­hind at the el­der­ly man’s home as they fled.

Res­i­dents, on check­ing the house lat­er, re­alised that a cell­phone and a 50-inch Sam­sung Smart TV had been stolen.  

Of­fi­cers of the Bel­mont CID were called in and are con­tin­u­ing in­quiries.