A MAN told of his terror after being threatened with a six-inch hunting knife – hours before his home was targeted in an arson attack.

John Martin told how he stood face to face in a Holmfirth street with the knifeman, who threatened to kill him.

A short time later, Mr Martin’s home in Thorp Avenue, Holmfirth, was damaged by a petrol bomb.

Less than 24 hours later, a police car parked close to the scene was set on fire.

Police confirmed they are investigating all the incidents, after initial reports of a man wielding a knife.

It is alleged the same man then returned hours later and carried out his threats to torch a property and later set alight a parked police car.

Mr Martin, 59, said he heard an altercation in the street and went outside.

“I looked down the street to check if my grandson was okay. The man was standing there. I just ignored him at first but he saw me and started shouting at me, then I saw the knife.

“At first I thought it was a toy, then I looked more closely and realised it was a hunting knife with a serrated edge and a blade around six to eight inches long.

“He started shouting and swearing at me, saying he was going to kill me.

“He told me to come out of my garden but I said I would only if he put the knife down.

“I wasn’t scared of him but I was of the knife. At one point he waved it in front of me and lunged it in the air.

“He must have been about six feet away from me at this point.

“He said he was going to come back and torch my house. At this point a woman approached him and persuaded him to leave me alone.”

Just three hours later Mr Martin heard a crash when a petrol bomb was thrown at his front window.

He added: “I was upstairs and I heard the crash. I looked out and could see the flames at the front window and the shrub had caught fire.

“Luckily the bottle didn’t break and smash the window or else the whole house could have gone up.

“I was shocked by it and it is just fortunate that no-one was hurt.”

The knife altercation and the arson attack on the property happened on Thursday, May 19.

The following evening police and firefighters were called to an arson attack on a police car parked outside the Thorp Avenue property.

One shocked resident said: “The police told us about the man with a knife. It was quite worrying as it was only 7pm so there were kids still playing out in the street.

“We didn’t hear the petrol bomb at the house, but on Friday night we saw the police car go up in flames as they came and asked us to move our car which was parked behind it.

“There was thick black smoke coming from the police car. We thought it was going to explode but the fire crews managed to get it under control.

“There were around 20 residents in the street watching. It is really worrying as you don’t usually get much trouble around here, so to have police and fire on our doorstep two nights running is quite rare.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 7.05pm on May 19 by an anonymous caller, reporting that there was a man armed with a knife in the Field Road and Thorp Avenue area.

“Officers conducted an area search to no gain. No-one has been arrested, but enquiries are ongoing and lines of enquiry are being followed up.

“Officers subsequently attended an address in Thorp Avenue along with the fire service and although there was some fire damage to the premises, no-one was hurt. It is believed this was a targeted attack.

“A police vehicle was also damaged outside the address.”

West Yorkshire Fire Service has spoken to concerned residents in the area and offered free home safety checks to home owners.

Anyone with information should contact West Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060606.