A HAWORTH woman was horrified to be confronted by a machete-wielding man on her own doorstep.

Angel Kershaw, 60, had to fight to stop the man barging into her home one night, after answering a knock at her front door.

Miss Kershaw, a former parish council chairman, said she had previously lived in South Africa and in gangland territory in Los Angeles, but never encountered anything like this before.

“All I could think was that I had to stop him getting inside my house,” she said. “I suspect he might have seen me as a soft target, but I had a bit more fight in me than he was expecting.”

Miss Kershaw has now had a safety chain fitted to the door of her house, which is in the Ivy Bank Lane area of Haworth, and she has encouraged other householders to do the same.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the crime was under investigation.

Miss Kershaw said the attack happened on Monday March 18, not long after a friend had called in at her home.

When she heard another knock on her door at about 8pm, she assumed it must be the same person coming back.

TOP STORIES:

Instead she opened her door to a man brandishing a large machete who immediately pushed her back, shouting “get in”, “get in”.

The man tried to force his way into her home, only to meet determined resistance.

Miss Kershaw said: “He had a scarf on pulled up over his lower face, a pale coloured anorak with the hood pulled up and black gloves.

“I decided to fight, because I knew if he got in with that huge blade he could seriously hurt me.

“He was less than an arms length away. I’m only four foot ten and he was about a foot or so taller, but I pushed with all my might and shouted for him to get out. He had to step off my doorstep to stop himself overbalancing.

“Because he was holding the machete he had only one hand free, so I put all my weight behind the door, managed to get it shut and bolt it.

“I called the police who arrived within minutes. Apart from a small graze on my palm where I caught the blade as I pushed him, I’m unhurt.

“It was over in seconds but I was left feeling shocked and shaken.

“I don’t own much of value and have no idea why my house was singled out. I’m not going to think about what might have happened.

“A friend came round the next day and fitted a safety chain for me. It hadn’t occurred to me before that I might need one. I’m also looking at Wifi cameras and other security measures.”

Miss Kershaw thanked everyone who had rallied round to offer their support in the days following the incident, and she urged other people in Haworth to be vigilant and aware of their own home security.

Detective inspector Claire Smith, of Bradford District CID, said: “We understand this must have been a terrifying experience for the victim and are continuing enquiries to locate the suspect, who is believed to have walked off up Ivy Bank Lane towards Sun Street.

“He's described as a white male who was wearing a grey anorak with the hood up.

“He was of slight build, spoke with a Bradford accent and is thought to be in his early twenties.

“Anyone who may be able to assist with this investigation is asked to contact Bradford District CID on 101, quoting crime reference 131901 41985, or use the live chat facility at westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat

“Information can also be reported anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”