A FORMER soldier has spoken of how he fought to stop his prized car being taken from outside his Silsden home.

Kenny Cockshott desperately clung on to the front passenger door of the BMW when the alleged assailant struck.

The vehicle twice hit walls at the scene, and Mr Cockshott's wife Hayley – who had come out the house when she heard her husband's shouts – was injured during the incident.

"I was so angry," said Mr Cockshott, 24, now an HGV driver.

"My only thought was to stop my car being taken.

"I was desperate not to let go of it."

The suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot when Mr Cockshott went to the aid of his 23-year-old wife.

She was taken by ambulance to Bradford Royal Infirmary, but her injuries were not serious.

"She's cut and bruised but otherwise OK," said Mr Cockshott.

"The consequences of this could have been so much worse.

"We need to find the person responsible."

The incident happened shortly after 3am on Friday, when Mr Cockshott was leaving the house in Keighley Road.

He was closing the front door when he noticed the car moving.

"I thought I'd left the handbrake off so opened the passenger door and saw someone sat behind the wheel!" he said.

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them, on 101, quoting reference 13170321453.

A spokesman said this week that an 18-year-old man from Skipton had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking. He has since been released pending further inquiries.