AN 82-year-old great-grandmother fought a burglar with her walking stick after raiders sprayed liquid in the face of her dog during a bungled break-in.

Thelma Bardsley hit one man three times on his arm as he held her back and once more on the knee before he and two accomplices fled from her home.

The trio, whom police are trying to trace, left Mrs Bardsley's Long Eaton bungalow empty-handed.

But her pet, five-year-old shih tzu Kracker, suffered damage to its eyes after being sprayed by the men.

The pensioner said: "The adrenaline took over while they were in the house. It was only after they had run off and I got to a neighbour's house that my arms and legs started shaking and I collapsed.

"How they can do that to such a friendly little dog like Kracker I don't know.

"I was so angry with them, especially seeing what they did to him. The vet has told me it was some sort of spray, like pepper spray but not the same, but his eyes are getting a lot better now."

Mrs Bardsley, whose daughter, Carol Stephen, 63, also lives in Long Eaton, said she was watching TV when Kracker ran crying into the living room where she sat.

Then she noticed a man standing by the door and when she confronted him he told her he was there to see a man called Steve.

Mrs Bardsley, who has grandchildren Andrew, 39 and Karla , 41 and great-grandchildren Liam, 20 and Georgia, 18, said: "I said to the fellow 'There is no Steve lives here'.

"Then he said he wanted cocaine and I told him I didn't have any so he asked for money. As he did so he grabbed me by the arm while another shorter man pushed past me and into the room. I then saw an older man, with grey hair and moustache."

Mrs Bardsley said while she was being held one of the men went into her bedroom.

She said he tried to break into a drawer in a corner cabinet but there was nothing of any value inside it.

Mrs Bardsley said: "I am 82 years old, I have lived through the Second World War and I'm not going to let people like that come into my house and take what they want."

The incident happened at 7.45pm on February 6 at Mrs Bardsley home in Darwin Road.

Detective Sergeant Sandra Gibbs, from Derbyshire police, said officers were working with Leicestershire police to see if the same men were responsible for a distraction burglary that happened earlier the same day in Melton Mowbray.

Mrs Bardsley said the man with whom she struggled was white, slim and in his early 20s. He was about 5ft 6ins tall and had dark eyes. Anyone with information should call Erewash CID on 101.