A terrified dad has described the chilling moment a robber put a gun to him and threatened to count to five and shoot.

Unemployed restaurant worker Kamran Tahir was at home alone when his doorbell rang late at night. When he answered it, a gun was pointing straight at his chest.

The unmasked gunman and two others then forced their way through the door, bundling him into a back room and ordering him to lay face down on the floor.

“They were shouting at me not to look at them, they wanted my phone and my wallet. They wanted jewellery but it’s in Pakistan with my wife,” said the 31-year-old.

His attackers kicked him in the body and face, also striking him with their fists as they took it in turns to point the gun and search the house in Cecil Avenue, Bradford.

“One of them told me if I didn’t tell him where everything was he would count to five then shoot my legs,” said Mr Tahir, who is epileptic. As two of the gang ransacked the house, Mr Tahir tried to escape to the door but he was grabbed and the others returned downstairs shouting “get the knife, get the knife” he said.

“I knew then that the gun wasn’t probably loaded but they were too strong for me and pushed me back on to the floor. They put a cushion over my mouth to stop me shouting. I still tried to keep fighting, then they must have realised there was nothing more for them to take so they just ran off.”

Mr Tahir said he had no idea why he was targeted. “Maybe they’d been watching me and knew I was alone. I didn’t recognise them, I don’t know why me.

“I’m just glad my family weren’t at home. It was my son’s fifth birthday and the fear could’ve killed my daughter.”

Mr Tahir’s eight-year-old daughter is also epileptic and has severe fits and other disabilities. The drama happened at 11.30pm on Thursday.

The robbers are believed to have fled towards Horton Grange Road and run along a footpath to the All Saints Road area.

“We believe it’s a targeted but isolated attack,” said Detective Inspector Steve Snow of Bradford South CID.

“I know that Cecil Avenue and Horton Park Avenue would still have been reasonably busy with cars so we want anyone who saw three men running from the direction of Cecil Avenue or getting into a car in that area at about that time to get in touch.”

Call Bradford South CID on 01274 376575.