Brave radio DJ uses karate skills to turn tables on pub attacker

Breakfast show presenter Wayne Allen, a 36-year-old karate black belt, was drinking with friends at the Dr Syntax pub in Prudhoe, Northumberland, when a masked man threw bricks and cement blocks through its windows.

Mr Allen, who works for Teesside’s TFM, ran out and tackled a man in a balaclava who was armed with more bricks, knocking him to the floor and kneeling on him even though his two accomplices in a Subaru Impreza came close to running him over.

Police were quickly on the scene on Friday night and took a man in for questioning.

The force praised the DJ’s bravery, but urged others not to take the risk.

Afterwards, Mr Allen told the Sunday Sun newspaper: “My karate licence says ‘protect your family, friends and uphold the law’ and that’s exactly what I did.

“And I’d do it again if I had to. I don’t advocate violence but women were screaming and I truly believed the pub was about to get robbed.”

The father-of-two, who used to work in Tyneside for Metro Radio, recalled he used a leg sweep to knock the man down, put him in an arm lock, then knelt on his elbows.

The Subaru driver then made to reverse over Mr Allen’s legs, but screeched away at speed instead.

Landlady Olga Stokoe said: “What Wayne did was totally brave. I know him as one of the customers in the bar, and he is a very nice person.”

Detective Sergeant Sally MacDonald said: “This individual was brave in coming forward and helping in restraining a man, he was quickly assisted by other people who also came out of the pub to give help.

“It must be stressed we are not advocating that members of the public intervene in violent situations where they put themselves at risk, but that they should seek immediate police assistance. In this case police were immediately called and arrived promptly to deal with the incident.”

A 33-year-old local man will appear before magistrates today charged with criminal damage.