D-DAY hero Dennis Mason, 87, has been praised by Malmesbury police for his bravery in tackling a cowardly burglar.

The war veteran, whose regiment led the British invasion of Normandy in the Second World War, surprised the man by swiftly grabbing him in the dark last Friday night around 9.15pm.

The move stunned the burglar for a few moments, but he then shoved the pensioner back and escaped through the bedroom window of Mr Mason's caravan at Burton Hill, Malmesbury.

The incident left the pensioner shaken and with a bruised elbow.

Mr Mason, who recently suffered a bout of pneumonia which left him with only one healthy lung, said: "I was watching the Two Ronnies show on TV when I noticed a shadow at the door into my bedroom. Thinking it was car headlights I decided to investigate. When I opened the door there he was. It was pitch black, so I grabbed him for a minute. All I was wondering was how could I control him without killing him. The next thing he pushed me back and then ran."

The burglar searched through papers in Mr Mason's bedroom and stole £60 in pound coins which the pensioner had been storing in his wardrobe.

Malmesbury police officers arrived on the scene with sniffer dogs to hunt down the burglar. A police helicopter was also scrambled.

Mr Mason thanked the police for immediately responding to his emergency call, but said he wanted to see the burglar face justice.

"I am very annoyed about this burglary. I do not like people taking advantage of me. I am not a violent person and in all my 30 years living in Malmesbury I have never had a problem like this.

"When I grabbed him I think my Army training helped because I stayed cool. The problem with young people like this burglar is that they have no respect. Everybody should have respect for somebody else."

Mr Mason added: "The young man was so surprised when I confronted him he said it wasn't me, he was like a child bumbling. I have no regrets about taking him on.

"The police were great. They made me a cup of tea and treated me very well afterwards."

During the Second World War, Mr Mason was a member of the 13/18 Royal Hussars regiment which landed on Sword Beach in Normandy on June 6 1944.

His task was to knock-out swathes of German machine guns, anti-tank guns and infantry aimed at the British.

PC Mike Tripp from Malmesbury police condemned the burglar for stealing from and attacking the elderly veteran.

He said: "On the one hand here we have a very courageous man who has fought for his country and on the other hand we have this cowardly character. Mr Mason was a courageous D-Day hero."

The offender is described as a 6ft man in his middle 20s who wore glasses and had a long dark jacket.

PC Tripp appealed for any witnesses who saw anything suspicious or who saw a man answering the description to get in touch with Malmesbury police on (01666) 822222.