Choose your weapons carefully

I'm pleased to see that the government is finally taking on board the fact that a person has the right to defend themselves or their property without the fear of prosecution. In my mind anyone who breaks into my house with the intention of stealing my property or harming myself or my family while pursing that intention leaves any human rights or protection from the police or law at the point of entry.
No one however disadvantaged, deranged or drug fuelled has the right to endanger the lives of my family or steal my property without the fear of severe retribution.
The law says that one can not use unnecessary force in confronting an intruder, even to the extent of threatening them with a gun if they are unarmed although they usually are armed if it is with a knife or kosh or gun if cornered they are going to use it. So here's my advise: get yourself a crossbow or paintball gun (and anyone who has played paintball and been hit close up by one of these knows how much it hurts).
Both can be legally held, both can cause extreme pain and is unlikely to cause death unless with the crossbow you aim at the torso or the paintball gun at the face. Even better, with the paintball gun one could use a dye which would mark and identify an intruder should he escape. If your were an intruder confronted by a property owner aiming a crossbow at your gonads what the hell would you do? Put your hands up or go for your gun?
If he tries to attack I would have no hesitation in pulling the trigger (having first made sure that I didn't know the intruder In case it was a drunk neighbour who accidentally broke into my house).If the law is against me then I'll take the risk that if I will still be alive then they can prosecute me. Tony Martin may have served 3 years for manslaughter but at least he's got the rest of his life to get over it.
The upside of using these weapons is that the police can't take your shotgun certificate away, as they did recently to a property owner who simply fired a warning shot in the air to scare off an intruder and crossbows are quite cheap. Neither of these weapons if used correctly will result in extreme loss of blood, unlike a shotgun or meat cleaver, resulting in expensive carpet cleaning bills
The downside is they are not the best shape and size to keep under your pillow at night and not the quickest weapon to load and arm, so not advisable to keep loaded by the side of the bed as getting up for a pee in the middle of the night could result in an unfortunate accident. The downside of the paintball gun is that if you miss you will have to redecorate the room.
A simple notice on your front door stating that 'anyone entering this property unlawfully will be met with extreme prejudice and divine retribution' that should do it - provided they can read!