A FAITHFUL pet dog has displayed the ultimate loyalty to her elderly owner - by scaring off a knife-wielding intruder.

Beauty, a Jack Russell terrier, sprang into action when Bill Agar was confronted by a hooded attacker on the doorstep of his home in Wheldrake, near York, barking at - and possibly biting - the intruder until he ran off.

Mr Agar, 67, also put up a good fight to prevent the attacker entering his home and was punched in the face during the sustained and violent struggle just after 9pm on Tuesday.

He said: "I heard a knock on the door, so I shouted to the wife to answer the door because I'm a lazy devil, but I decided to answer it after all.

"There was a chap at the door with a carving knife, he had a hood up and a scarf over his mouth and nose. He kept shouting 'Get in, get in' but I wasn't going to let him in. I thought I'll have a go here and get his scarf off and have a look at him, so I had a go. I know I'm old, but I'm not weak.

"I've got a little Jack Russell and, as I shouted to the wife, Beauty was there like a flash. I don't know if my dog bit him, but he never got in the house, he went straight away. Beauty's a very faithful dog. We've had her six years and she's very protective of me. She's a marvellous little thing,"

Mr Agar and his wife, Ann, 63, have run Springwell Garden Centre, at Wheldrake, for 30 years. Mr Agar said his only concern was the safety of his wife, who was frightened by the incident unfolding on her doorstep. The threat posed by the masked knifeman did not occur to him until afterwards. He said: "I was concerned about the wife, not me, I was only bothered about her. It's a good job she didn't answer the door after all."

Det Con Ian Murray, of York CID, said: "Mr Agar resisted and his dog defended her master bravely. Between them they prevented the man from entering the house. From our point of view it was a brave effort by both Mr Agar and his dog."

The attacker was described as white, aged about 45, wearing a dark hood and dark clothing.

Anyone with information should phone York police on 0845 6060247 or 01904 631321.

Updated: 10:05 Thursday, October 14, 2004