Shocking moment thug brandishing 6ft steel wrecking bar threatened dad-of-one who disturbed him ‘trying to steal £6,000 worth of tools’

A THUG was caught on camera appearing to charge at a dad with a 6ft steel bar.

The brazen bloke is said to have flown into a rage after allegedly being disturbed trying to steal £6,000 pounds of worth of tools from a workshop.

Stuart Hodgkiss, 43, said the would-be thief marched over brandishing the huge metal pole and tried to smash him over the head after he caught him in the act.

And terrified Stuart claims he was saved from being seriously injured or even killed by a locked 5ft-high metal gate which shielded him from the thug's reach.

Dad-of-one Stuart from Armthorpe, south Yorkshire, said: "I went round for a cup of tea at about 2.15pm and the alarm suddenly went off.

"My dad and I shot straight outside to the garage at the back of the house and we saw him with a car pulled up, with a passenger, and a power tool by the car.

"I'd picked up my phone straight away and turned the camera on to make sure I got photo evidence.

"I shouted to my dad to call the police and then he came at me.

"If the gates had been open I would have been out there, but if that thing had hit me it might have been a different story – I would have ended up in hospital.

"I just want something done to stop him, something is going to happen – he could kill someone."

B&Q supervisor Stuart said that it was the second time in two months that his joinery and woodwork-loving dad Richard's garage had been targeted.

Last December a life-time's collection of power tools and hand tools including saws and hammers, worth £6,000, were swiped and replaced with brand-new ones from the insurance company.

Retired B&Q customer advisor Richard, 68, said he believes the same people who ransacked the place last time had come back.

Richard said: "First of all I thought it was a false alarm as it used to trigger every time a mouse got in.

"But as soon as we went outside we realised someone was out there swinging this great big iron bar.

"It really shook me up seeing something like that. I was worried he could have cracked his skull wide open."

"I suspect it's the same guy who's come back and smashed his way in."

The man, believed to be in his early 20s, chewed through the new 10ft solid timber doors and caused substantial damage to the hinges and bolts.

Richard said: "The whole thing got me onto two levels – the personal level of danger to my family and the fact that I just don't know what to do to secure my garage.

"I'm considering bricking up one side which would hinder my options with work I can do with long lengths of timber but I don't know what else to do."

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "At around 2.25pm on Sunday 8 January, it was reported two men attempted to force entry into a garage on Briar Road, Armsthorpe, Doncaster.

"The two men attempting to gain entry to the garage were disturbed by the owner before making off in what is believed to have been a blue Renault Scenic.

"It has also been reported one of the men attempted to assault the son of the garage owner with a metal pole as he was leaving.

"He was not hurt in the attempted attack.

"The man who reportedly attempted to assault the owner's son has been described as white, of a medium build, aged in his early 20s and to have been wearing a blue cap with a white logo on it, a blue jacket, gloves, dark-coloured tracksuit bottoms and dark shoes.

"No items were stolen in the attempted burglary but extensive damage was caused to the garage door.

"If you saw this incident or believe you know the man described please contact police on 101 quoting incident number 597 of 8 January."

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