A HAVE-a-go hero was almost mown down by his own car when thieves drove straight at him outside his Swanwick home.

Management consultant Nick Garvey, 54, was furious to find two men in his car in Lower Swanwick Road in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He was watching television when he heard them crash his Vauxhall Astra into a neighbour's car and raced outside in his slippers at about 1.30am.

As he ran towards the vehicle shouting at the men to get out they put it into gear and tried to hit him.

The married father-of four said: "I was furiously angry to see someone driving off in my car. I shouted to this guy 'That is my car, get out!' but he just put it in first gear and put his foot to the floor.

"He drove straight at me and I only just managed to get out of the way. I raced after the car because they slowed down to pick two other guys up, but I'm not Linford Christie, I was never going to catch a car. Looking back it wasn't the most sensible thing to do, there were four of them and a car, but I was so angry."

Park Gate police believe the thieves dumped a stolen Vauxhall Cavalier with a burst tyre in Lower Swanwick Road before trying to steal two other parked cars in the road. It is believed they broke into a Vauxhall Cavalier and Ford Escort, stealing tools and a radio and tampered with ignition wires on Sunday morning before finally driving off in Mr Garvey's vehicle.

His car was recovered after being dumped in Cosham and scenes-of-crimes officers have searched it for clues. It has not yet been returned to Mr Garvey.

The incident comes after three people were yesterday charged with murder after holidaymaker Michael Howard, was knocked down and killed trying to stop a car thief outside Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.