In their daytime attire the mild-mannered Coggers could be any Middle England family. By night they display a ruthless streak.

For every member of the Cogger clan - from dad Gerry, 47, to seven-year-old Hannah - is an expert in karate.

The family, of Whitelot Way, Southwick, were all successful in their latest grading and it is likely they will all be brown belts within four months.

Gerry, 47, said: "If we are all in, a burglar would be a bit stupid to come around to our house."

Gerry, his wife, Julie, 35, and Ben, 11, Heather, ten, and Hannah, seven, all train together, go to gradings together and even take part in competitions together.

Gerry said: "When we say we do karate, most people look at us astonished and say 'What, all of you?'

"But it's good because we all have a common interest."

Ben, who got interested in karate aged seven, is the most experienced and the one they all look to for advice on the finer points of the martial art.

He had been going to lessons run by Sussex's SKA Combat Karate Club for about a year when his sister, Heather, wanted to start.

Gerry said: "I was taking them both along and I thought I might as well get into it myself.

"Nearly a year after that, Hannah, our smallest, started getting interested.

"The first couple of times she went she couldn't keep up because she was too small.

"She was only six and we told her when she was seven she could join again.

"As soon as Hannah started, Julie took the same view as me and thought we might as well all go.

"Hannah and a couple of other girls are the youngest in the class and I'm one of the oldest."

At their most recent grading at Lancing Leisure Centre, Julie and Hannah went up to purple belt.

Gerry and Heather got their brown belt third kyu, while Ben went up to brown belt first kyu - one grade before black belt.

But Ben will have to sit out the next grading in four months, so the whole family could be on brown belt at the same time.