A house robber was shot dead in Farrar Park in Boksburg on Wednesday, Johannesburg police said.

"A man had been sleeping in his house when he heard a noise. He woke up and saw two men walking out of the house carrying computer boxes at 2.30am," said Captain Mac Mngomezulu.

The two men jumped over a wall to the neighbour's yard.

The man called his neighbour to notify him about what was happening and the neighbour, with a gun in his hand, went outside.

By that time, the robbers were on the roof-top.

One of them jumped off in a bid to get away, while the other remained behind, said Mngomezulu.

"The robber who had jumped picked up a brick and tried to attack the neighbour. In self-defence, the neighbour shot him. He died at the scene."

His accomplice was arrested and will appear in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday on a robbery charge.

Sapa