Knife is held to Portchester teenager's throat as balaclava-clad gang steal £6,000 motorbikes

The man was thrown to the ground before having two 9in knives menacingly held to his throat after returning to his Portchester home at about midnight on Wednesday.

The victim was confronted by the four men after opening his garage door at The Leaway – leaving him fearing for his life before the assailants made off.

The gang took the teenager’s moped and a blue Yamaha motocross bike worth £4,000 before riding away. They are thought to have travelled from Cosham train station towards Port Solent.

Lewis Baldwin, 21, was at home when the ambush happened but did not hear anything until the petrified victim woke him up.

‘(The victim) came back on his moped and went into the garage where there were four men wearing balaclavas,’ he said.

‘They threw him to the ground and put large kitchen knives about nine inches long up to his throat and said: “If you do anything funny you will get hurt.” They then made off with the bikes.

‘The men were all wearing balaclavas so he didn’t recognise them. He was petrified and very shaken by it all.

‘I was sound asleep and didn’t hear anything.’

Lewis believes the culprits were aware of the bikes being at the address after an advert was put up on Facebook Marketplace about 10 days earlier to sell the bike.

He said: ‘I think it’s someone who knew the bike was for sale after the advert went up a few days earlier. It’s a bit of a coincidence.’

To compound matters the Yamaha is for off-road use only so did not have any insurance.

A police spokesman said: ‘The men were wearing dark clothing with black balaclavas covering their faces. One of the men was wearing black and white Adidas shoes. Two of the men were in possession of kitchen knives.

‘If you witnessed this incident, have seen the bikes or been offered for sale any bikes matching these descriptions, please call us on 101, quoting the crime reference number 44190380607.’

The bikes are described as a white and blue moped, registration HK18 FCD and a white and blue Yamaha off road motorbike with no registration plate.

People can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.