A respected family man who tried to abduct two teenage girls at knifepoint has been locked up indefinitely.

David Thomas snapped under marital stress after a night of heavy drinking, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Smartly-dressed Thomas stood in the dock with his head bowed yesterday as a judge branded him a danger to women and sentenced him to an indeterminate sentence for public protection.

The father of two young daughters admitted attempting to kidnap the girls, aged 19 and 17, in broad daylight.

The court heard that he pounced on his victims within minutes after buying a kitchen knife from a supermarket. Thomas, 39, selected the girls at random to show them "I'm in control, I'm not weak," the court heard.

He struck first at the Stead Street entrance to Shipley Railway Station at 11.20am on Saturday, July 21, last year.

Prosecutor Richard Smith said Thomas asked the 19-year-old girl the time, then said: "I've got a knife, if you don't come quietly, I'll stab you."

He showed her the knife blade in his coat sleeve.

The terrified girl began to accompany Thomas but he walked off when she alerted a passer-by she knew.

Mr Smith said the young woman was shaken and visibly upset.

Minutes later Thomas targeted a 17-year-old girl in Valley Road, Shipley.

He stopped his car, asked her the time and said: "I've got a blade in my hand. You've got 60 seconds to get into the car."

The girl's boyfriend ran up, punched Thomas in the head and kicked his car.

Thomas dropped the knife and fled in the vehicle leaving the girl hysterical with fear.

Mr Smith said two days later Thomas rang his parents saying he had "done something very bad" involving a knife bought at Asda.

His father took him to Keighley Police Station where he was arrested and charged.

Thomas was unable to explain his actions to detectives, the court heard.

He cited heavy drinking, recreational drug use, marital problems and depression.

He said he had been out drinking Bacardi until 3am on the day of the offences.

Thomas, who was working at Damart in Bingley and was staying at a hotel in Shipley, bought the knife and selected his victims at random.

He said he would regret his actions for the rest of his life.

Thomas's barrister, Tahir Khan, said he had been a man of previously good character without even a caution to his name.

"It almost beggars belief," he said of the offences.

Mr Khan conceded: "Both young ladies must have been terrified".

He said of Thomas: "He has lost everything - his life as he knew it, his marriage, his daughters and his career."

The Honorary Recorder of Bradford, Judge Stephen Gullick, said Thomas had pleaded guilty, shown remorse, handed himself in to the police and was of good character.

But "the fateful weekend in July last year" meant he posed a significant risk to the public of causing serious personal injury.

The judge branded Thomas "a serious danger to women in the community".

"Both young women were terrified. The scars will remain very much with them - how long into the future I simply do not know," said Judge Gullick.

He sentenced Thomas to imprisonment for public protection, an indeterminate period behind bars.

Thomas will serve at least one year 18 days before he can even be considered for parole and he will be on prison licence for the rest of his life.

Thomas, of Shipman Road, Market Weighton, East Yorkshire, will live with his parents after he is released, the court heard.

After the case, Detective Inspector John Mountain, of Keighley CID, who led the inquiry, said: "The two young women, aged 19 and 17, were terrified by the incidents. They were deeply affected at the time and are still coming to terms with the attacks.

"One can only speculate what would have happened had it not been for members of the public intervening and preventing the young women being dragged into the attacker's car at knifepoint.

"Thomas will remain on life licence when the parole board decide on his date of release."