by Emma Grove

A pair of Kent businessmen attacked by knife-wielding villains were astonished to discover some residents had stolen their shopping after it had fallen in the road during the attack.

And it could have been worse for them, as the fit pair were able to fight off their attackers.

David Lynch and Malcolm Hardy, who run Sheerness Travel Agents, were making their way home from work when the attackers struck.

Mr Lynch believes the attackers thought they would be carrying money, but he said most of the business is done on credit cards.

He added: "It was quite disgusting really as people came out of a house nearby and nicked my shopping which had gone everywhere. When a man was down they kicked him even further.

"I couldn’t believe it. You would think in a situation like that they would help out."

The brothers had shut up shop at 5pm as usual and headed towards their car. They usually walk via Trinity Road but on this occasion had gone to the post office and entered the road from Broadway end.

Normally they would have turned right into Newcomen Road from Strode Crescent, but because they had come from the other direction, turned left.

As they turned into the road in Sheerness, Kent, at about 5.05pm they saw the two men standing by the door of their car.

One of the men was dressed in black and wearing a balaclava and the other was wearing a grey hooded-top with a scarf wrapped around his face.

Mr Lynch, 51, said they thought it was just two boys having a joke.

The next moment, the man in black had stepped forward and sprayed Mr Lynch in the face with what he believes to be pepper spray, while the man in grey tried to stab him in the neck with an eight-inch carving knife.

Fortunately for 6ft 2in Mr Lynch, he goes to the gym three times a week to train for boxing, and was able to dodge out of the way and the knife missed him by a couple of inches.

He then punched the man with the pepper spray while the other man went for Mr Hardy, 64.

Mr Lynch hit his attacker a couple of times before the pepper spray started to badly affect him.

Mr Hardy kicked his attacker who then went after Mr Lynch.

By this time the man in black had fled and Mr Lynch was trying to walk back to Trinity Road and the man in grey came up behind him and tried to stab him again.

Mr Lynch said: "I turned round to face him - I thought if I’m going to get stabbed, I’m going to get stabbed.

"I shouted to Malcolm to get him and then he ran off as well."

The brothers, who have run the travel agents for 40 years, were treated at the scene by paramedics.

Police are still appealing for witnesses of the attack to come forward.

The attackers are believed to be aged between 20 and 25.

Anyone who knows anything should call the Area Crime Unit on 01795 419366 or Kent Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111.