A MAN was left for dead after being tied up, savagely beaten and dragged round his home as a gang of burglars searched for money.

Mike Hawes, 53, was alone, dozing on a couch in his house in Meadow Drove, Earith, at 10.15pm last Wednesday (July 18) when he was wakened by the sound of his patio doors being smashed.

He was confronted by two men in balaclavas who were armed with baseball bats.

His partner Julie Hollyer, also 53, said Mr Hawes wrestled a bat from one of the attackers, but was knocked unconscious by the other. The thieves then bound his hands and feet with cable ties.

When he regained consciousness, he was confronted by five burglars – all in balaclavas – demanding money.

They dragged him round the house in their search for cash, but left the bungalow empty handed, Ms Hollyer said.

The ordeal ended when Mr Hawes freed his arms from the cable ties and called the police. He also made enough noise to attract a man who had been fishing on the lakes at Fenland Fisheries.

Mr Hawes, who owns the lakes, was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with multiple facial injuries and other injuries to his body.

His attackers had also broken his ribs, puncturing a lung, which started to fill with blood.

Ms Hollyer, a former nurse, said: “It was a vicious attack. I don’t know how a human can do that to another human. It was just a complete frenzy. They wanted him to suffer.

“I was out at the time and he called me to tell me he was hurting really bad. There was blood everywhere, in the living room, the bedroom, everywhere, because they dragged him round looking for money.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep again after this. I don’t know how anyone who would have lived through this could.”

The gang managed to steal a small sum of money and Mr Hawes’s grey Toyota Hilux, which was found abandoned 400 metres down the road.

Ms Hollyer added: “Mike believes the thieves were in their 20s and had local accents.”

Mr Hawes remained in hospital yesterday (Tuesday) and is due out by the end of the week.

Det Sgt Leigh Allman said: “This was a nasty incident, which we are treating very seriously. We are treating it as an isolated incident but have increased patrols in the area as a precaution.”

INFORMATION: Anyone with information should call Cambridgeshire police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.