ROBBED!

Kevin Knott had just completed his 13-hour nightshift guarding a construction site in Hedge End when he was attacked by a pair of robbers who sprayed him in the face with pepper spray and robbed him of his bag.

However, the 45-year-old had the last laugh as the bag contained the uneaten remains of his dinner.

Speaking to the Daily Echo about his ordeal Mr Knott said he was left shaken but slightly amused by the attack that happened around 7.45am yesterday near to the Sainsbury's superstore complex off Tollbar Way.

He said: "I was a bit shaken up but I suppose it is quite amusing really. I would have liked to see their faces when they saw all they had got away with was the crisps. They must have thought I was carrying money but all I had in the bag was a torch, a phone charger, a small radio and the two packets of crisps.

"All I remember was a man running past me who asked me for the time. As I told him another man pulled up in a white Escort van and said: 'Police, give us the bag' and then I was sprayed in the face with something like pepper spray or CS gas."

"Then they took off but I couldn't see anything it was just all blurry and my eyes really stung."

Mr Knott, who lives in Weston, Southampton, spent the rest of the morning in casualty where doctors confirmed he wouldn't suffer any permanent damage as a result of the attack.

But despite being told to rest Mr Knott said he wouldn't be beaten by the robbers and will be back at work today.

John Bayliss, operations manager at Cobra Security where Mr Knott has worked for the past four months, said: "What is the point of picking on a security guard who is just doing their job?

"I just wish I could have seen the moment they found out what they had actually got from it."

It is believed the robbers drove off along Tollbar Way. Contact Hedge End CID on 0845 045 4545 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 with information.