A WAR hero battered by burglars at his quiet village home has spoken for the first time about his ordeal.

Former naval veteran Bob Schofield, 89, was left with severe facial injuries after confronting intruders who broke into his home in Chapel Hill, Salterforth.

Speaking to the BBC’s Crimewatch programme, which is airing a reconstruction of the attack tonight (Thurs), the mild-mannered grandfather says that the attack was “terrible” and he would like to see the thugs caught and punished.

He said: “Well I thought It was terrible really, a terrible thing.

“I hope they get punished for it, you know, severely, because they need it, don’t they?

“They go in somebody’s house and beat them up. That’s not on is it? No.”

Detectives hope the BBC One broadcast will turn up fresh evidence regarding the incident, on November 10, which was witnessed by Mr Schofield’s 87-year-old wife Mollie.

Det Insp Dave Groombridge, of Pendle CID, also interviewed, said: “There are crimes that really make you question human nature, crimes where you can’t even begin to understand the minds of those that commit them.

“This is one of those crimes.”

Mr Schofield was not allowed home for six weeks, following the attack, because of the extent of his injuries.

His family were devastated by the ferocity of the violence used by the intruders, especially those, like his nephew Peter King, who witnessed the immediate aftermath.

He told presenters: “It’s only 12 strides across from our door to Bob’s door and I could see the door was open. I instantly knew there was something wrong.

“As soon as I walked in you could tell the house had been ransacked and I made my way upstairs immediately “Blood (was) everywhere on the wall and his face, his eyes were closed, pools of congealed blood in his eyes.

“The first feeling is ‘my Uncle Bob’s been killed, he’s been attacked, he’s dead’.

“It’s a feeling of anger, frustration and revulsion that there are human beings out there that can do this to an 89 year old...”

Mr Schofield’s John was also interviewed and outlined his contempt for the attitude of the attackers.

He said: “I cannot get my head around how anybody could do the amount of physical damage to another human being never (mind) someone who is 89-years-old “I was told he had severe bruising but I have to say it shocked me to tears when I actually saw his face.

“I couldn’t believe anybody could do something like that to an 89 year old man.”

An update programme will be screened later in the evening, at 10.35pm, to provide any further information received since the initial screening.

Mr Schofield served in the Royal Navy and fought during the Second World War crewing escort ships on North Atlantic convoy missions from Scapa Flow to Murmansk.

Police arrested more than a dozen men, belonging to a sales company in the Blackpool area, shortly after the attack.

But a Lancashire Police spokesman confirmed last night that the men, aged 17 to 55, had been ruled out of enquiries and released without charge.

People with any information regarding the attack can contact Pendle CID on 01282 472643 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555 111.