A HAVE-A-GO hero has told how he was brutally attacked for challenging teenage yobs who threw chips on the pavement outside his home.

Father-of-three David Thomas, 41, was battered about the head with a weighted sock after he went to intervene.

He was left with a nasty cut to his head - but told the M.E.N. he didn't regret his actions and would do exactly the same again.

"This sort of thing happens too often," said David, who lives with wife Amanda and their two younger children - Molly, eight, and Emily, three.

"The more people let these kids get away with it, the more they will do it. These kids need to have respect. There is a lack of it in this country these days. Communities need to stand up for themselves. The more people that do then the more these children will realise that they cannot get away with their actions."

The case bears a resemblance to the circumstances which led to the death of father-of-three Garry Newlove, 47, in Warrington in August last year. His head was kicked `like a football' by three youths he confronted believing that they had vandalised his wife's car.

David, an engineer, told how he first saw a teenager hanging around outside his house near Lewis Road in Droylsden.

He said: "I was sat on the computer and saw him out of the corner of my eye.

"He was flicking his chips with his fork on to the pavement outside the gate.

"I was telling him to shift through the window. I then went to the front door and told him to go away."

The boy was then joined by a second teenager.

David, who also has an adult son, said: "They were making threats and said they would be back. Then they disappeared."

Moments later, a gang of five returned to his house - shouting to David: `Come outside'.

David said: "I went outside and the next thing I knew one of them went behind my back and hit me on the head with something. I thought it was a bottle at first."

David chased the gang but they disappeared. He was taken to Tameside Hospital after the attack, but released later that night.

David added: "These children could be carrying anything these days but if you stopped and thought about it they would ride roughshod over everyone. They thought that they could do want they wanted whenever they wanted."

Insp Kevin Rankin, who is leading the inquiry, called the incident an `unprovoked attack'.

He said: "Their actions will not be tolerated. I am sure there are people who could assist us in our inquiries and I would appeal to them to get in touch."

Witnesses can call police on 0161 856 9322 or 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.