THE victim of an aggravated burglary has spoken of his family’s shock and distress over the terrifying incident.

Mark Muankeaw, whose family own Tui’s restaurant in Malton, was at home on his own in Dickens Road, when a gang of four men carried out the raid on Friday, December 28.

He said: “I heard a typical knock on the front door, expecting it to be some of my mates calling or neighbours.

“I unlocked the door and four men forced their way into the house. I joked about and said ‘aye up lads’, thinking it was still my friends.

“Then that’s when I realised this wasn’t a prank as I saw some sharp work tools and other weapons on the men.”

Mark said the gang pinned him down on a sofa and started punching and threatening him.

“Two men stayed with me at all times and continued to attack me and threaten me. One used an eating fork to stab me many times across the body and face and got my eye once,” he said.

Mark said the other men went upstairs and started looking through everything.

“The men said some unbelievable threats and used household objects like a wooden stool and an iron to try and get me to tell them where the cash, visas and passports are,” he said.

Mark said he eventually managed to escape and ran out of the house.

“As I ran out into the street, no one was in sight, so I banged on my neighbour’s doors and shouted for help,” he said.

“At the same time I noticed a set of headlights come on and it was their getaway car parked up facing away from the end of Dickens Road.

“I managed to stop a car and contact the police seconds after the men got into the car and drove away.”

Mark said: “This has left a hard working family in great distress and struggling to cope financially.

“Ask everyone in Malton and they will always say good things about our family.

“As a family we have been through worse times but nothing compared to some bullies taking away what you have rightly earned through hard work.”

Police sent out an appeal for witnesses or information following the burglary which took place at about 6.10pm.

The four men are described as white, all aged between 24 and 28, and all were wearing grey jogging bottoms and black jackets, apart from one who was wearing a grey jacket.

It is thought the men spoke in an Eastern European language.

They were then seen to make off in an Audi A5.

Anyone with further information should phone police on 101, select option two and ask to speak to Detective Sergeant Michael Moorhouse.

You can also email michael.moorhouse@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. Please quote reference 12180240712

If you have information, but want to remain anonymous, you can also phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.