Raiders beat father with hammer

Balaclava-wearing car key raiders burst into a Black Country family home before beating a father with a claw-hammer and speeding off in his Volvo.

Mortgage adviser Ashwani Kumar, aged 43, was savagely beaten in front of his terrified wife, who was also punched in the face, while their two-year-old son slept nearby. Today, as a major manhunt was under way, Mr Kumar spoke of the horrifying attack.

The Kumars were upstairs at their home in Barbel Drive, Wolverhampton, at around 11.30pm on Monday when the thugs broke in.

They hit Mr Kumar several times in the face with the hammer and punched his wife Sunita, aged 35, before stealing the cash and the couple's silver Volvo S80, worth around £8,000 which has since been recovered.

The couple were taken to hospital but not kept in overnight. The raid has left the Kumars too frightened to go outside.

Detectives, who are today appealed for information, are checking for any links with other car key burglaries in the West Midlands.

Mr Kumar, who is now considering moving house, said: "Obviously I was frightened for my wife and child. I didn't want him to see anything. Anything even remotely violent, you try to protect your children from anything. It hurt a hell of a lot but I was just thinking about my wife and child.

"My wife was extremely distressed and very, very concerned about me.

"She thought they were going to kill me because they were having a good go at me. She thought I was a goner.

"I was completely covered in blood. There was blood everywhere, all over the house. We're still extremely, extremely frightened."

All the attackers were said to be wearing dark clothing.

Wednesfield CID is appealing for anyone with information to call 0845 1135000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Car key raiders have struck more than 800 times across the Black Country in the past five years.

By Crime Correspondent Mike Woods