Man thrown from car bonnet

A man has told how he was thrown from the bonnet of his car as it was stolen from outside his north London home.

Pharmacist Stewart Evans, 38, was woken at 0350 BST on Thursday by the sound of his front door being forced open with a crow bar.

He found two hooded men in his £500,000 house in Southgate and rushed outside in his dressing gown to find another man getting into his new VW Golf.

Acting on "instinctive adrenaline", he jumped on the car bonnet and gripped onto the windscreen wipers as his wife and children looked on.

I've worked very hard and very long to have the car I have got and for someone to come in and take it away from me is not something I subscribe to Stewart Evans

"I was trying rather stupidly to break the glass with my hand, shouting at him at the same time: 'Get out of my car'," said Mr Evans.

But the car drove off at "high speed" and the thief tried swerving and braking sharply to throw Mr Evans off - he lost his grip after about 150 metres.

He was treated for bruising at North Middlesex Hospital.

"In hindsight, with the injuries I have, it's rather foolish of me, and because I have four children perhaps I shouldn't be going jumping on bonnets," he said.

"But at the time you don't think of that.

Recent spate of crimes

"I've worked very hard and very long to have the car I have got and for someone to come in and take it away from me is not something I subscribe to."

The thieves also got away with a laptop and £150 cash.

Neighbours in the affluent suburb say it is usually a safe area, but there has been a spate of crimes over the past few months.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Holmes said the thief had shown a "total disregard" for Mr Evans' safety.

And although he understood Mr Evans's reaction, he advised people against reacting in a similar manner.

Police are asking any witnesses to contact them or Crimestoppers.