Fright night

Carl Wild: fought off burglar while aleady injured

A have-a-go grandad grappled with a burglar who attacked him at home — even though he was recovering from broken ribs.

Carl Wild (60) disturbed the intruder at 4am at his home in Foxdenton Lane, Chadderton. The retired project engineer had struggled to sleep after suffering the broken ribs in a fall and was returning indoors from his garden shed when he disturbed the burglar on his way out.

“I thought I had disturbed my wife,” said Carl. “This figure appeared with sledgehammer shaft and hit me. He was kicking and stamping on my feet, and hit me where my ribs had been broken.”

Carl poked his attacker in the eye, forcing the raider to flee though a neighbour’s garden after grabbing Carl’s laptop, an iPhone, two watches, a silver and sapphire bracelet, an iPod, £370 in cash and even some Euro banknotes. A stolen air rifle was later found nearby.

Carl escaped with a broken finger and bad bruising: “At the time it was pure reaction but it has affected me and shaken up my wife.”

The burglar is white, in his 20s, around 5ft 10in and clean shaven with short hair. He wore a hoodie.

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.