Romford pensioner knifed on doorstep in late-night attack

A pensioner was slashed with a knife on his doorstep as he fought off a thug trying to break into his bungalow.

Mick Sheppard, 67, said he feared for his and his wife’s lives when a stranger flew at him and tried to enter his home in Eastern Avenue, Romford, late on Saturday night.

Retired bus driver Mick, who has had two heart attacks, answered the doorbell at 10.15pm thinking it was his neighbour.

“This geezer was standing 4-6ft away,” he explained. “He said ‘do Danny and Tony live here?’ and I said ‘no mate’.

“I went outside to talk to him and then walked back to the door and told him I couldn’t help anymore and was thinking, why hasn’t he moved away?

“Then he sprinted at me, grabbed me and swore at me aggressively. I said ‘you ain’t coming in my house’.

“I shouted to my wife Sandra to call the police and she did immediately.

“As I grabbed his left shoulder he slashed my right arm twice – with a Stanley knife or something.

“I just wanted to get the door shut. I feared for both of us – but there was no way I was going to let him get to her.

“If I was a young man I would have fought with him outside. He was an out-and-out scumbag.”

The adrenalin enabled Mick to slam the door, and the man fled the area.

Police arrived within 10 minutes and Mick heaped praise on the officers for their dealing of the situation.

“They were absolutely brilliant,” he said. “They made me feel like I was important.”

Mick, who refused treatment for his wounds saying he did not want to go to hospital on a Saturday night, said the attacker was aged 25-35, 5ft 9in and spoke with a cockney accent. He had his hair brushed to one side and was wearing a dark blue or black hooded top.

“Police said they might never catch him,” he added. “But I want people in the area to know about it. I shall be looking out of the window in future.”