A FORMER macebearer and the holder of a British Empire Medal was brutally mugged and robbed in his own home in Monmouth last week.

John Blake, affectionately known as ’Mr Monmouth’, was duped into opening his door late on Tuesday, February 18 and was rushed by two hooded intruders.One of them pushed the pensioner to the floor and began to rain punches down his face, whilst the other apparently searched his flat for money.The callous attack left John with two black eyes, a broken nose, a suspected broken eye socket and a bruised hand.The robbers stole just £50, his credit cards and the keys to the van he uses for his scrap metal business.John said he had a phone call at midnight on Monday from someone offering him some scrap but he said he was not interested and put the phone down. “They rang another three times after that but I didn’t answer it,” he said.“Then Tuesday night, they rang again about 10.20pm and said they were coming up right away. “The doorbell rang so I knew it was them, and as I opened the door one of them was looking at me, smiling”.“I didn’t have time to say anything before two hooded men came bursting through the door, kicking out with their feet and pinning me to the stairs, the other one then slammed the door closed and ran off.”One of the intruders got my wallet out of my back pocket and started to hit me all the time, I couldn’t push him off.“He kept punching me until the other one, who had gone up to my flat and searched it, came back down. They had my credit cards, my driver’s licence and about £50 from my wallet”.Councillor Richard Roden, Monmouth’s mayor, said how horrified he was to learn of the attack.“John Blake is a well known character who gave great service to Monmouth as mace-bearer for over fifty years. Many of the people in Monmouth will find it totally repugnant that anyone would assault John at his home, particularly when considering his age.”Gwent Police believe three people were involved. A 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, both from Monmouth, were arrested on suspicion of robbery. They have since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.Anyone with any information is asked to call 101 quoting reference 2000062453. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 11 or message them on Facebook or Twitter.