Scream' mask gang violently rob man returning home

A man was momentarily strangled by a cable during a violent robbery in Bury.

At about 8.40pm on Friday 30 November 2012, a gang of five men wearing "Scream" masks pounced on the 50-year-old man as he returned home on Greenway Close.

As soon as he got out of his car, four of the offenders grabbed, punched and kicked him repeatedly and made demands for his property.

The fifth man was acting as a lookout.

He was dragged to the floor, where they said they would tie him up and he was briefly strangled by a cable.

The offenders pulled off the man's Rolex watch, but then left when they suspected the alarm may have been raised by neighbours.

The man was taken to hospital, where he remained for several days whilst observations were carried on to his damaged spleen.

All of the men are described as being 5ft 9in tall, of slim build and dressed in dark clothing.

Detective Constable Dave Thorpe said: "This was a vicious attack on a man returning home to his family.

"The watch that was stolen holds sentimental value to the victim but more importantly this has had a huge impact on him physically and mentally.

"The relentless violence used and the resulting injuries mean that it is important the culprits are caught as soon as possible.

"We have launched a number of enquiries since this attack, but now we are eager to speak to anyone who has information that could help us."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 856 8248 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

LEGAL NOTICE

PLEASE NOTE: as publishers, it is your responsibility to check whether any restrictions have been imposed by the courts that may affect the reporting of legal proceedings.

This document/photograph is being released to you for the purposes of reporting this particular case/incident and you should then destroy it.  Its use thereafter is not sanctioned by the Greater Manchester Police without direct authority from the Chief Constable.

The copyright is retained by the management of the premises from which the image has been taken.  You are reminded of your obligations under the Contempt of Court Act 1981 should this document/photo be used again in any unrelated proceedings.

Acceptance of the document/photograph confirms that Greater Manchester Police will be indemnified in the event of any proceedings arising from unauthorised use by yourselves.