A widow, whose rural home was burgled, says she now sleeps with a shotgun beside her bed.

Mary Morrissey was speaking at a meeting on rural crime in Tipperary last night.

Over a thousand people attended - farmers who have been the victims of robberies were among the organisers, and they called for stronger trespass laws, electronic tagging and increased Garda resources.

Mary Morrissey told Tipp FM and those gathered at the meeting that her life has changed since she was robbed: