Couple bailed after farm shooting

A married couple arrested after two suspected burglars were shot at in a midnight raid at their remote farm cottage have been released on bail.

Farm tenant Andy Ferrie, 35, and his wife Tracey, 43, were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm on Sunday (2 September).

They were held for three days by police and bailed on Tuesday (4 September) pending further enquiries.

Mr Ferrie told police he had fired a legally held shotgun at two of four intruders who had broken into a farmyard home near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. The raiders then fled the scene.

Paramedics treated one suspected intruder for shotgun injuries at the scene, while a second man was treated at Leicester Royal Infirmary after presenting himself with minor injuries.

A spokesman for Leicestershire Police confirmed: “A 35-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman, arrested on suspicion of GBH, have been bailed pending further inquiries.”

Leicestershire Police said two Leicester men, aged 27 and 33, were remanded in custody to appear at Loughborough Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (5 September).

Two other men, aged 31 and 33, who were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, were bailed pending further inquiries.

The Ministry of Justice said homeowners and shopkeepers who “use reasonable force to defend themselves or their properties will not be prosecuted”.

Rutland and Melton MP Alan Duncan, a government minister, voiced his support for the couple, saying they should not be prosecuted if it is established they were defending their home.