Crowd fund bid to catch clown thief

A friend of the Hindley Green couple has launched a crowd-funding crusade to raise at least £5,000 in a bid to catch the robbers who fled with a large amount of cash and a top-of-the-range watch.

As well as wanting to help his friends, Jonny Hart has an extra reason to offer incentives to bring the crooks to justice: he himself was the victim of a violent raid on his home seven years ago in which five masked men slashed across the face with a knife, stabbed in his leg and threatened to rape his then girlfriend.

The 32-year-old, who currently lives in Dubai but hails from Hindley, said: “I know how terrifying it has been for my friends: the sleeplessness, the nightmares.

“I just wanted to show my support and let them know that people care. I didn’t get much support at all, although the people responsible did get caught and sent to prison because I was able to identify them.

“People who do this kind of thing cannot be allowed to get away with it. Whoever was responsible had done their homework. They knew they had CCTV which is why they wore masks and I think he was targeted because he is a man who has done well for himself.

“This attack has upset a lot of people and I hope they will contribute. I also hope people will come forward with information for the police too.”

To add to the reward find http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/reward-for-information-leading-to-arrest? on Facebook