CONSERVATIVE demands for greater householders' rights to deal with burglars will be backed in the Commons by Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff this week.

Mr Luff has thrown his weight behind a Private Member's Bill drawn up by his Tory colleague Patrick Mercer designed to protect householders from prosecution if they defend their property.

Mr Luff's pledge comes as the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers were due today to publish a leaflet advising householders how much force they are legally allowed to use.

Meanwhile, the Private Member's Bill will allow people to fight back against intruders as long as they do not use "grossly disproportionate" force.

Mr Luff said it would protect householders who "paid a heavy price for defending their property".

Despite recent signs from Tony Blair that the Government was prepared to review householders' rights, Home Secretary Charles Clarke subsequently rejected the Tories' demands.

Mr Clarke said the existing laws were adequate and very few people had been prosecuted for defending themselves.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Ken Macdonald, found only 11 cases in the past 15 years in which people were prosecuted for defending themselves, in an "informal trawl".

"This is a really popular Bill which the Government is opposing after its double U-turn," Mr Luff said.

"I'm staggered the Government has U-turned back again. They searched records for cases, but it was completely inadequate.

"We did a trawl that produced more than theirs."

Mr Mercer's Bill will be go before the Commons for its Second Reading on Friday.