A BUSINESSMAN is offering a substantial reward after he was beaten and stabbed by two thugs as he closed his snooker club for the night.

Mr Michael Crowley, who owns Whitefield Snooker Club, had a main artery severed in his left arm which was also fractured by the two masked men armed with baseball bats and a screwdriver.

They fled when they were confronted by employees of a taxi company based next door to the club in Albert Close.

Mr Crowley (65) was treated at North Manchester General Hospital before being discharged hours later.

The men pounced just after midnight on Tuesday as Mr Crowley was pulling down the shutters.

Assistant manager, Miss Carol Gore, helped her injured boss at the scene and accompanied him in the ambulance to hospital. She said: "These two men came out of nowhere, wearing black balaclavas and carrying baseball bats. They asked Michael to hand over the keys. He began to make a bit of a fuss and shouted at them to stop hitting him."

The thugs battered Mr Crowley on the head and arms with the baseball bats before one of the raiders stabbed him several times with the screwdriver.

Miss Gore added: "The guys next door at Blueline taxis heard the commotion and came out. They chased these two and threw a big pot of coffee at them."

"Michael obviously suffered shock after what happened," added Miss Gorge.

He is now recovering at home in Cheshire.

One of the was 5ft 8ins tall, of thin build and wearing a dark-coloured, zip-up jacket and white trainers. His accomplice was 5ft 6ins tall, thin and wearing a dark tracksuit top and white trainers.

Both men were aged 25-30 and spoke with local accents.

Anyone with information should ring Whitefield CID on 856 8248 or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

Gunmen struck at the club in February. They held up staff and stole cash from gaming machines.

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