A MAN told how a gunman blasted through his house in an attempt to kill him.

Lindsay Dobson said he was relaxing at his home in Ardingly when the attacker blasted through a window in his house.

Mr Dobson, known as Dobby, was unaware of what was going on at his home in Oaklands when he heard the gunfire.

He said: “I didn’t actually see anything. I was sitting in the living room relaxing then, all of a sudden, I heard an explosion-like noise.

“I had no idea what it was but definitely didn’t think it was a gunshot.

“My thought was that it was my gas cooker or oven blown up or something.”

Despite the noises, it was a distinctive smell that made Mr Dobson’s alarm bells ring.

He said: “After I got up to see what was going on I got a strong smell of gunpowder and that’s when I knew what was going on.”

Mr Dobson later noticed that his side window had been left open, and said that the gunman peppered a six-inch hole in his hallway door.

He had to hide upstairs until police escorted him to a safe place in the wake of the carnage.

The gunman shot the windscreen of Mr Dobson’s cousin’s car around the corner in Gowers Close after the Oaklands attack.

A man was later arrested.

Mr Dobson remained unfazed by the attack, saying: “I have been through a lot this year and nearly died from a long-term illness, so this doesn’t really bother me. I’m very laid back.

“I will not be deterred by bullies, something this man clearly is.”

Some residents believe they know who the suspect is.

The incident happened at around 8.30pm on Monday, and police helicopters were surrounding the scene for hours to find the gunman.

Neighbours say they heard the noise of the helicopters and were told by police to lock their doors until it was safe.

One resident, Melvin Pattendon, said: “Because Ardingly is a farming area, it’s not as hard to get a gun – it was possibly an air rifle that the man used.”

Max Chamberlain, 27, who lives above the Ardingly Inn, said: “You don’t expect it to happen here. I was just in a bit of shock when I heard about it.”

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after gunshots were fired at a house in Oaklands, Ardingly, at about 8.30pm on Monday and at the windscreen of a parked car in Gowers Close.

“No one was hurt in the house but a door was damaged. The suspect was arrested three hours later following a search by officers and the police helicopter. The 41-year-old man in remains in custody for questioning.”