'INSTINCT KICKED IN' Hero homeowner fights off four armed raiders with flurry of punches to protect wife upstairs

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10005662/homeowner-fights-armed-raiders-rochdale-manchester/

ASTONISHING footage shows a hero homeowner fighting off four armed robbers in bid to protect his wife during a terrifying raid.

Asif Ali, 35, defended his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, with his bare hands last night while one of the masked men threatened to kill him.

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Asif battles the first intruder during the home invasion last night in Greater ManchesterCredit: MEN MEDIA

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The businessman fights the masked men while his wife Charlotte was upstairsCredit: MEN MEDIA

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The 35-year-old said 'instinct kicked in' as he feared the men would harm his wifeCredit: MEN Media

The CCTV footage shows estate agent Asif landing a flurry of punches on the men, who were all dressed in black, before one of the robbers comes back with a weapon believed to be a screwdriver.

Asif, who says “instinct just kicked in”, chased the men off with a pair of kitchen knives while terrified they would harm his wife Charlotte, 30, who was upstairs.

He believes the masked thugs knew they were at home, during the attempted raid at 9.15pm yesterday, and were expecting a violent confrontation.

Businessman Asif, who runs an estate agents and a clothes shop, said he was alerted to the intruders by his dogs who were barking “aggressively”.

He told the Manchester Evening News: "I went to see what was going on and there was someone standing there dressed head-to-toe in black.

I didn't want them anywhere near my wife

"He threw a punch at me and we started to fight.

"I didn't know what I was doing. Instinct just kicked in - I just trying to get him out of the house.

"A second man came in and I thought he was trying to get upstairs where my wife was. I didn't want them anywhere near my wife.

"I got them outside, but they were pulling at the door, then one of them pulled out what looked like a knife, but the police think it might have been a screwdriver.

"He said 'I'm going to kill you'. He started to walk back towards me. I ran back inside and grabbed a couple of kitchen knives and chased them back out."

Asif released the footage in a bid to catch the cowardly robbers and is offering a £5,000 reward for information which will lead to their conviction.

He added: “They knew we were home. The lights were on, the cars were on the drive, the doors were open, and they've come into our home armed, knowing there were people inside, knowing there would likely be a confrontation and knowing they would cause some damage.

"Someone out there knows who these people are. They need to be caught before they do it again."

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One of the thugs charges into the house with a weapon - before Asif chases him away with kitchen knivesCredit: MEN MEDIA

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