A retired military police officer has erected an electric fence around his property to defend his home against yobs.
But Ralph Harvey, 63, has now been warned by a beat policeman that vandals could sue him if they are injured by the 12V live wire.
The former RAF police sergeant says he has been plagued by theft and vandalism and that his bungalow is 'under siege' from youths who have thrown bricks, paving slabs, breeze blocks and even acid.
Shocked: Retired RAF police officer Ralph Harvey is keeping yobs at bay after installing an electric fence around his home
The final straw came after all his wife's jewellery was stolen in two burglaries.
Mr Harvey, from Saltash, Cornwall, says officers have repeatedly ignored his pleas for help and take more than an hour to reach him when he dials 999.
So the father-of-three installed the wire along the inside of his wooden fence. But now his local beat officer has warned him he could be sued for negligence if someone is injured by touching the live wire while climbing over it.
He said: 'I've had enough. It's about time that the great majority turned on the yobs.
'There is a group of people who don't have money or jobs and they think it's fun to terrorise others.
'I know I will probably get retribution for this. If they want to kill me, let them do it now, that's what it will take to shut me up.
'The fence is not illegal and is inside an existing garden wall but apparently if they try and climb over it and hurt themselves they could sue me.
'Well let them sue me. I'm a pensioner, and I'm fed up with us all being harassed. All I am trying to do it protect my home and family.'
Mr Harvey and wife Carolyn, 55, say that in the last six months they have been burgled twice by thieves whole stole jewellery, cash and a book manuscript he was was working on.
On Sunday night a slab of concrete was thrown over the fence into one of his neighbour's gardens in the small cul-de-sac.
Shock tactics: Mr Harvey, from Saltash, Cornwall, says officers have repeatedly ignored his pleas for help. His electric wire can be seen to the top left of the picture, attached to the fence
Mr Harvey added: 'If they hit someone they will kill them. All we want to do is live peace.'
Another resident said he could 'fill a skip' with the amount of bricks thrown into his garden in the last six months.
He said acid had been thrown over his car and a waste bin had been thrown through his son's bedroom window.
Another female resident said: 'I'm petrified. I'm afraid to sit on the patio. If one of those bricks hits me it will kill me.'
The electric fence installed by Mr Harvey cost £100 and is designed for controlling sheep and cattle and is powered with 12 volts of electricity.
Andy Dunstan, police neighbourhood sergeant for Saltash, said the incidents had peaked in the last few weeks.
He said police had stepped up patrols in the area and arranged a meeting with residents to discuss the issue
