Plucky landlady Elaine Sexton confronted a burglar at her guesthouse, less than two weeks after The Old Rectory in Lacock was first raided.

Mrs Sexton, who runs the guesthouse on Cantax Hill with the help of her husband Paul, was enraged to see that a burglar had the cheek to break in early on Monday morning, just 10 days after the first burglary saw daughter Laura’s skydive sponsorship money taken.

She scared off a burglar after discovering the theft when she came downstairs in her nightie to start the day’s work.

She explained: “I had come downstairs to turn the burglar alarm off when I saw that my handbag had been rifled through again and then saw muddy footprints on the floor.”

She followed the footprints out of the living room a slight breeze on her bare feet alerted her to the fact that the front door was open.

She walked silently to the door and heard heavy breathing on the other side.

“I thought he had gone but I was so enraged when I knew he was hanging around, waiting for me to put the burglar alarm off so that he could creep back inside.”

She decided to confront the man and jumped from behind the inside of the door, shouting ‘What do you think you are doing?.

The tall man, who was wearing a white hoodie, ran off down the drive.

The businesswoman said: “I think the culprit knows that we are not going to take it lying down. I was so outraged that it had happened again. Luckily nothing was taken this time.”

King John’s Hunting Lodge tea rooms and bed and breakfast in Lacock was also burgled on the same night, for the third time in three weeks. Thousands of pounds has been stolen from the business in the three raids.

Owner Margaret Vaughan said: “This is the third time that this has happened now so I have obviously been knocked by it.

“However I’m being upheld by all the love and support from everyone in the village and my family as well as the support from the police.”

PC Mandie Ball said: “Since the burglary at King John’s there is no longer any money kept on the premises and we are advising other businesses to do the same.

“We are following up various leads. We have also increased the number of patrols day and night in Lacock.”

Anyone with information about the burglaries should call 0845 408 7000.

l Laura Sexton’s skydive for the South West Children’s Hospice on Sunday was postponed again due to bad weather. It will now take place on May 29.