A MAN suffered serious back injuries after being hit by a speeding van as he tried to stop thieves stealing a workmate's motorbike in a daylight raid.

Shocking CCTV footage shows foreman Craig Morrell being thrown in the air after being struck by the bonnet of a green Citroen Berlingo van accelerating out of the yard at Swanglen Metals, Castlefields Lane, Crossflatts.

Mr Morrell, 47, suffered a badly damaged vertebra and a broken finger after he tried to stop robbers making off with a Kawasaki motorbike belonging to colleague Alan Harris on Tuesday at 1.52pm in the afternoon.

Swanglen's managing director Dave Allen told what happened.

"It was unbelievable, Craig could have been killed or landed on his neck and been paralysed. It could easily have been so much worse.

"We are based in a Portakabin as we're still getting over being under five foot of water during the floods and suddenly we saw this green van pull in and reverse back to where two bikes were parked.

"Two blokes leapt out and threw the bike into the van.

"Craig saw what was going on and ran over with another lad to try and stop them - but they weren't stopping for anything.

"It just tore off and sent him flying, they weren't going to stop for anything

"He could have easily gone under the wheels."

Swanglen employs 18 people at its site and some attempted to follow the speeding van up narrow Castlefields Lane, which is busy with ongoing repair works to flooded homes.

But the van made it to the T-junction with Keighley Road and then vanished - with the bike hanging out of the back through its open doors, held in by two of the robbers.

"It could have been disastrous as there are often dog walkers and Bingley Grammar children on the lane and that van was flying.

"It was really shocking to see, we were stood in the doorway, in broad daylight and they had the neck to drive in and do that." Mr Allen said.

Injured Mr Morrell was driven to Airedale General Hospital by a fellow worker and has only just returned home.

Production manager Scott Steele said that 999 was called, but the first police presence was the arrival of a lone Police Community Support Officer.

"A police constable rang me the next day to take down the details and they have also got our security CCTV footage which shows everything."

Stolen bike owner Alan Harris 49, paid tribute to Mr Morrell:

"He's an absolute hero - there's no other word for it and I'll never forget what he did.

"It was a spur of the moment thing and he did what he could, he got stuck in.

"I shall be going round to see him and say thank you now he's out of hospital.

"There's never been anything like this before and the bike was just there with its steering lock on," Mr Harris said.

Detective Chief Inspector Terry Long, of Bradford District Police, said: "Police were called at 2.11pm on Tuesday, 28 June to a report of a motorbike which had been stolen from commercial premises in Castlefields Lane, Bingley.

"The caller was unable to give a registration for the bike and confirmed it had left the area.

"Officers attended within the hour and established that a vehicle had been stolen using a green Citroen van and that the vehicle had struck a man in the process of making off. It was also established that the man had been taken to hospital with injuries which were not thought to be life threatening.

"Further enquiries revealed that this van, which is thought to be a Citroen Berlingo, was believed to have been used in a burglary in the Harecroft area of Wilsden earlier that day in which a bicycle was taken.

"Police are treating these incidents as linked and would ask for anyone with information about this vehicle or the motorbike to contact Bradford District CID on 101, or to the independent charity Crimestoppers, who can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111."

Anyone with information on the Citroen Berlingo van or the stolen Kawasaki KLX 250 motocross style bike is asked to call 101.