A robbery victim told today how he feared for his life when his attacker pulled out a knife in a city centre shop.

Textile worker Fida Hussain had just withdrawn £3,000 from his building society when he was pounced on in broad daylight in a busy shopping street.

Mr Hussain, 48, pictured, was knocked to the ground and the carrier bag containing the money, to pay for double glazing, was snatched from his grasp.

He gave chase for several hundred yards across Bradford city centre, helped by a taxi driver and market stall worker, until he cornered the robber in an electrical shop in North Parade.

Mr Hussain, who lives with his family in Legrams Lane, Lidget Green, said: "I asked the manager if a black man had walked in and he pointed to him. I walked up to him and told him to give me my money back. He started fighting with me in the shop, kicking me in the leg and punching me on the head.

"I grabbed him round the neck. He was still hitting me but I was thinking he had my money and I wasn't going to let him go. Then he pulled this knife out of his pocket. It was like a lock knife and it was closed but it was about four to six inches long. He said: 'Let me go or I'll kill you.'

"I let him go. I was in fear of my life. I thought from the look on his face that he could do anything. He looked crazy and he was ruthless and determined to get away with my money."

Mr Hussain had taken the money out of the Yorkshire Building Society in Bank Street at about 10.15am on Monday and believes the robber had been at the next customer window in the building society, noticed his transaction and followed him outside.

He was walking back to his car and was at a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Westgate and John Street when he was grabbed from behind and knocked to the ground.

He chased the man into John Street market where he was joined by the 21-year-old market stall worker. The pair lost the robber and asked for help from the driver of a parked taxi. The trio found the mugger hiding behind bushes in Drewton Road and confronted him.

But he pushed the market worker to the ground and punched the taxi driver in the face before fleeing again and diving into the electrical shop.

Mr Hussain said: "If he can do this to me he can do it to anybody and next time someone could get hurt."

The mugger was a 6ft tall Afro-Caribbean man. He was wearing a blue jacket, black jeans or trousers and a black woollen hat.

Anyone with information should phone PC Ian Broadbent on 376459. Police particularly want to hear from the taxi driver.