Sunderland Skinnypigs boss talks about his terrifying machete and hammer ordeal at the hands of raiders

Jonathan Hair, the 38-year-old founder of the Skinnypigs business, was repeatedly stabbed and his English bulldog Pork was also hurt by the three robbers who burst into his Wearside home.

The business owner said he was met with the ‘surreal’ sight and first thought he was being pranked by his friends who had popped by on the way home from the pub.

Reliving the attack, Jonathan says the first man swung the machete towards him but he managed to grab his wrists before a second intruder began to hit him over the head with a hammer.

“They were shouting demanding me to tell them where the money was,” said Mr Hair.

“They said they were going to cut my toes off, then he immediately start swinging at them.

“I was doing all I could to keep out of the way but they hacked at my legs – they cut them to ribbons with the machete.

“They were all dressed in black with balaclavas but they wouldn’t let me look up so maybe they thought I’d recognise them.

“They must have hit me north of 20 times, my fingers were cut down to the bone and I was losing a lot of blood.”

The three attackers continued demanding money and Mr Hair says one of them tried to stab him in the chest before grabbing him and putting the knife to his throat.

Mr Hair said he then told them about money his ill father had given him to go towards a mortgage deposit which was in the living room.

When the intruders fled with the £4,000, Mr Hair says he clambered upstairs to use his phone to call the police.

But with his fingers sliced to the bone and covered in blood, he struggled to call for help and was found by neighbours on the bathroom floor who immediately called an ambulance.

The raid coincided with him collecting the takings for January from franchisees of the popular Skinnypigs fitness sessions which are run all over the North East of England.

The businessman believed the gang turned up with weapons knowing he was a strong fitness instructor.

He realised he was lucky to survive, saying any of the slashes to his legs could have cut his femoral artery, apart from any of the slashes and hammer blows.

Mr Hair is recovering from his ordeal, but said his bulldogs Pork and Chop were still upset.

Pork was slashed and Mr Hair thinks both dogs were beaten before the robbers shut them out of the way.

"Pork is terrified to be away from me," he said.

"He has barely eaten since this happened."

Mr Hair has offered a £3,000 reward for information which leads to the conviction of his attackers.

Northumbria Police said three men aged 37, 32 and 22 have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary and have been released under investigation following the January 23 attack.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101.