Hi Harry. I'm not so spritely myself at nearly 46. Ok, I should be but I'm actually riddled with arthritis. I'm also not well versed in one to one combat having never been in the army or other services and never have I been the sort fo person who looks for fights. However, I did participate in contact karate when I was much younger and I'd use those moves I learned to the best of my abilities if I needed to. Add to that there are many objects in the average home that can be used as an impromptu defensive weapon if need be :-)

To get back to the original debate about ID cards and to tie this 'home intruder' offshoot into it. How would an ID card help in this case? Answer....not at all. Is the burglar (note I didn't submit a typo this time...) going to flash an ID at the homeowners if he/she is disturbed? Nope. If the police do manage to catch him/her then again an ID card means nothing in prosecuting them. Tying this in with the usage of ID cards in combatting illegal immigrants, again, how will it help? They have to be caught first and if they are going to be then they will be card or no card. Add to that, as has already been said but I'll rephrase it to the way I always state it, "if man can make it then man can break it". In this case "man can also fake it".

I shall await the first prosecutions of innocent members of society who have forgotten to take their ID card with them in the Summer and they have shorts on and t-shirts. I often go out with shorts that have no pockets. Forget chains or clips on the cards I used to work at a local university so I know just how easy it is to lose those forms of attachment.

Apologies for rambling and going off topic somewhat.

Kevan

To be honest, my personal philosophy where buglars are concerned is that I would rather end up in jail and alive with the burglar dead than either me or my family dead or badly injured (or my wife and daughters raped). I would not hesitate in beating the living daylights out of a burglar.