A HAVE-A-GO hero was attacked and threatened during a ‘terrifying’ car theft in Accrington.

One thief threatened to stab Ryan Wood, 26, with a knife during the incident in Dent Dale.

Mr Wood said he heard the front door of his house open and shut twice at around 7.15pm on Monday and as he went to investigate saw four men sitting in his father’s green Fiat Panda courtesy car.

MORE TOP STORIES:

As he went to challenge them, three of the men ran through a nearby park towards Accrington and Rossendale College and the fourth ran in the other direction.

Mr Wood chased the three men into the park and one is said to have slipped and dropped his Nokia phone.

Mr Wood said: “He turned to me and said, ‘Give me my phone back or I will stab you’.

“He then punched me in the stomach as if he was making a stabbing motion with a knife.

“Because it was dark I couldn’t see what was going on.

“He called for his friends to come back so I just chucked his phone on the grass and walked off.”

When Mr Wood returned to his house he saw the fourth man reversing the Fiat off the drive and escaping.

He then chased after the three men on foot again but lost them inside the grounds of Accrington and Rossendale College.

No arrests have been made and the car has not been traced.

Three of the men are described as Asian and one was white. They were all around five foot 10 ins and wearing dark clothing.

Witnesses can call police on 101.