TWO elderly brothers have been forced to fight off burglars in their Southampton home twice in two days.

During one of the struggles a burglar punched one of the pensioners in the arm.

The thieves stole thousands of pounds from the brothers, aged 77 and 79.

Both burglaries happened in daylight, when the front door of the house in Brookwood Road, Shirley, was forced open.

In the first raid, at 3.30pm on Friday, September 29, the brothers found two men in one of their bedrooms.

They tried to fight them off but the thieves dashed out of the front door with several hundred pounds in cash.

At about 1pm the next day, the brothers were in their front room when they heard a large bang.

They got up to find out what was going on but someone was holding the door shut from the other side.

When they managed to get the door open they were confronted by one of the same men from the previous day.

There was another struggle before the thief ran off.

Other witnesses saw four men carrying two large steel black boxes, belonging to the brothers, along Parkside Avenue into Green Park Road.

They contained tools, documents and several thousand pounds.

The men are believed to have got into a car that drove off along Green Park Road towards MacDonalds.

Both victims are very shaken but uninjured. Police are appealing for information.

The first burglar is described as about 19, 5ft 8in, of average build, with short brown hair and wearing a dark jacket and dark tracksuit trousers.

The second man was in his late 20s, about 5ft 10in, of slim build and with scruffy brown, curtain-style hair. He was wearing black trousers and a black bomber-style jacket and dark blue gloves.

The third man was in his late 20s, taller than the other two, of slim build, with brown short hair, black shoes, black trousers and a black jacket. He was wearing black gloves with a silver stripe.

The fourth man was wearing dark clothing.

PC Louise King said: "It's very unusual for someone to be targeted twice by what appears to be the same burglars and we are very keen to find the men responsible."

PC King is appealing for anyone who saw suspicious vehicles, particularly 4x4s, parked in Green Park Road or Parkside Avenue, to call 0845 045 45 45.