A muscle-bound building boss who came home from a New Year's Eve fancy dress party kitted out as Thor scared off a burglar by charging at him in his superhero outfit.

Six-foot-tall fitness fanatic Torvald Alexander, 38, was wearing a full God of Thunder outfit - complete with flying red cape and tinfoil silver-winged helmet - when he spotted the raider in his front room rifling through a desk.

Mr Alexander, who runs building firm Alexander & Summers in Edinburgh, Scotland, said the burglar threw himself out of a first-floor window of his £350,000 home in the Inverleith area of the city when he opened the door and confronted him.

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God of Thunder: Torvald Alexander, returning from a fancy dress party as Thor, charged at the burglar, who threw himself out of a first-floor window

The man landed on a roof outside the window, which broke his fall, enabling him to escape.

Mr Alexander said: 'As soon as he saw me, his eyes went wide with terror.

'He looked like he had had a few drinks and decided to do a late night break-in, but he hadn't counted on the God of Thunder living here.

'We were both startled but then the instant reaction was that I ran at him and he just jumped straight out of the window.

'I think I would be quite scared if someone looking almost like a gladiator ran at them.

'He might have thought the property was empty.'

He added: 'I had just got back from a fancy dress New Year's party and because I have a Norwegian name I decided to go as Thor.

'It took ages making the cape, helmet and breast plate, and I must admit it was a bit chilly walking home, but when I saw that guy I just went mad and charged at him, my cape flying behind me.

'I think if I had had Thor's hammer with me I might have scared him to death.'

Norse legend Thor has a magical hammer, called Mjolnir, which after knocking out a foe magically returns to the superhero. It can also throw lightning bolts at enemies.

Mr Alexander said that the burglar had not managed to steal anything, but had left his shoes and the garden fork he used to break in with at the scene.

He said: 'He had obviously taken off his shoes to creep about in silence, but when he saw me he just jumped out of the window in his socks.

'It will make him think again before breaking into other people's homes. Hopefully it's taught him a lesson.'

Mr Alexander said he was going to contact the police and hand over the burglar's shoes in the hope he can be traced.

An £80million blockbuster based on the Norse superhero is due to be released in 2010 after Kenneth Branagh agreed to direct it.

James Bond star Daniel Craig was rumoured to be taking the lead role, but no actors have so far been confirmed.