Warwickshire police hunt masked raiders wielding iron bars who attacked a man trying to stop theft at a Banburyshire farm shop

The criminals make off in the black Hyundai car bearing false number plates

The men attacked a camp site warden with iron bars when he tried to stop them using gas cutting equipment to remove the caravan's wheel locking device.

The incident happened at FN Pile & Sons farm supplies store at 9.30am this morning (Tuesday). The men are thought to have been on the site from 9am.

Owner Frank Pile told the Banbury Guardian: "They were spotted trying to cut the locks off a caravan by a lady in the caravan next door.

CCTV picture shows the camp site warden's van with smashed windows as the getaway car speeds off. It has an orange LED beacon on the roof. The corner of the smashed red VW Polo is just visible on the left

"The caravans are used by HS2 workers and they had gone to work. But the wife of one had come to stay for a few days and saw them. They had jacked up the legs of the caravan and were using gas cutters to get off the security devices.

"She got the registration number of the car - RA05DLJ - but these are false and apply to a Renault Megane. They were in a black Hyundai.

"She alerted the warden who went to investigate. As he went over to try to stop them they started to attack him with iron bars and they smashed the front window and door of his van.

"He managed to drive back to the yard and alerted me. I parked a red car across the road quickly to stop them getting away but they stove straight into the car and pushed it out of the way," he said.

"I followed them and they went towards Gaydon. There is some talk that these people came from Southam where stuff from near here was recovered last week. They were nasty and violent."

Mr Pile said the vehicle was quite distinctive and would have sustained damage to the front where it rammed the VW car. It may also have some fragments of red paint on. The car and green van will now have to be mended.

He said except for the wheel lock, the caravan had not been damaged. The criminals are thought to have started their attempts to steal it at around 9am. (The times on the CCTV pictures are incorrect and apply to British Summer Time).

Anyone who has any information that might help police should call 101 and quote Incident 94 of December 7, 2021.