A nightwatchman saw off thieves who broke into a paintball warehouse - by blasting them with bright yellow paint.

One of the raiders was hit in the face as the guard grabbed the nearest weapon to hand and unleashed a volley of pellets.

The duo fled empty-handed and police today hope traces of the distinctive markings will lead to the culprits being found.

Adrian Saunders, managing director of Diablo Direct in The Hyde, Bevendean, Brighton, today praised his guard's quick thinking - and his shot.

He said: "We've had to bring in a nightwatchman because we've started getting so many attempted break-ins.

"At about 11pm yesterday he heard the door being jemmied open and went to have a look. He was confronted by two burly men.

"He ran screaming down the stairs and fired off the gun, as much to scare them off with the noise as anything.

"A paintgun is a non-lethal weapon but you can bet it scared the hell out of them. And if you've ever been clapped by one of the pellets you certainly know about it.

"I've no idea why people are trying to break in here. The pellets are a very specialist item and have virtually no resale value. It may be because they're in bright-coloured boxes and people think they are cigarettes."

A police spokesman said: "Someone's going to spot his glowing face - or a bruise."

Police have appealed to witnesses and anyone with information about last night's incident to contact them on 0845 6070999.