WAKING up to the sound of breaking glass, Aaron Thompson sprang into action.
The dad, from Doncaster, leapt out of bed, and without stopping to put on clothes, ran into the street to chase off a masked yob who was bashing in his car window. Ring camera footage of the incident went viral. Now, he tells the Jattvibe about that night – what he thinks was behind it – and why he’s living in fear for his life after repeated attacks from masked men.
The video shows the moment Aaron scared the crooks off as they try to steal his car Credit: YouTube
Motors enthusiast Aaron Thompson, 43, said his street has been blighted by brazen yobs Credit: facebook/@aaron.thompson.9659283
The Yorkshire business owner is considering moving his wife and kids away – and has slammed cops for not doing enough.
He said: “We were lying in bed, my wife and I. I sleep very lightly, so I was woken up in the night by a loud smash outside the house.
“I opened the curtain windows, jumped straight out of bed, and saw a man there with a hammer smashing the car window.
“I opened the window and shouted ‘what the f**k are you doing?’ and told my wife to ring 999.
“I then ran downstairs and opened the front door, but by then he’d smashed the cars with his hammer and the front window.”
Aaron feared the attackers would head to his son’s house, just down the street.
He threw on a pair of trackies and ran up the road until police arrived at 3 am.
The video of the brave dad went viral, with Aaron’s wife Rebecca joking on Facebook: “My hubby’s bum is famous”.
Ring doorbell footage shows the stark-naked dad emerging from the front door and chasing the thugs down the street in the middle of the night.
But just days later, the thieves returned to the family’s home, smashed their front windows and rammed into the cars kept in the driveway.
As a result, three cars were written off – a BMW Z4, BMW 1 series and BMW 3 series that are worth tens of thousands of pounds.
A fourth car, a Hyundai i10, was left dented with a scrape on the window.
The dad said one of the damaged cars alone cost £46,000.
He replaced their front door with one without a letterbox because “it’s just not safe for us to have one”.
I’ve got no doubt whatsoever that this will happen again – these people do not do this once
Aaron Thompson, on being attacked by yobs
The family also replaced all their windows with tougher glass.
“It is quite costly, but at the end of the day, that’s your family,” he says.
“I’ve worked hard to give myself and my family nice things, and when somebody comes and starts destroying your property, you want to defend yourself.
“I’ve got no doubt whatsoever that this will happen again – these people do not do this once.”
Aaron says car thefts in the area have soared over the past few years – and this isn’t the first time he’s confronted the thieves.
“I’ve woken up before and stopped a van theft across the road because I heard them breaking in about two years ago.
“I ran out, got the people out of the van, and they ran off.
Aaron stormed out, not even having the time to put on clothes Credit: YouTube
One yob can be seen climbing a car’s bonnet Credit: YouTube
Aaron and Rebecca Thompson with their two dogs
The dad said one of the damaged cars was a BMW that cost £46,000
“We’ve also had people trying to read your car keys from outside your house and standing next to your cars.
“There was another time, a girl who lives across the road from us had her car stolen last year.
“We have heard of numerous cars that have gone missing.”
It comes amid a nationwide problem of brazen car thieves targeting vehicles, not only on streets but on driveways too.
According to Wentworth Protection, 130,000 vehicles are stolen across the UK each year.
That is a nine per cent increase compared to previous years, and 38 per cent of all thefts happen in driveways, car parks or residential streets.
Alarming figures also show that three in four car thefts go unsolved.
‘My daughter is suffering panic attacks’
Criminals are using electronic devices such as keyless repeaters and signal amplifiers to break into keyless motors across the country.
Experts say steering wheel locks, driveway pillars and wheel clamps are common security measures to deter thieves looking for a quick and easy target.
A full investigation has since been launched by South Yorkshire Police into the damage at the Thompsons’ home.
The family have stated they no longer feel safe in the area, and that they are constantly fearing for their lives.
PJ was a little Jackapoo and about 1.5kg, not even 1ft tall. A Belgian Malinois ripped our dog to pieces.
Aaron Thompson
Aaron says: “If people can come and do this to your house and face no consequences, then I don’t know how you can start to feel safe again.
“We’re looking at moving out of the area because we just don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re on edge all the time – it’s unbearable.
“It’s affected my business massively.
“I’ve not been able to work the same, so we had a loss of earnings regarding this, the damage that’s been done, and insurance has been severely affected, and obviously excesses to pay, so it’s cost me thousands.”
The family believe they have been targeted since a campaign seeking justice for their beloved dog PJ.
The pooch was mauled to death by a Belgian Malinois that “ripped him to pieces” four months ago.
Aaron said: “PJ was a little Jackapoo and about 1.5kg, not even 1ft tall. It ripped our dog to pieces.
“The dogs aren’t allowed in the garden anymore. We’ve even put nappies on them because we dare not let them out.
The family believe they have been targeted ever since they started a campaign seeking justice for their beloved dog PJ
A full investigation has since been launched by South Yorkshire Police
Aaron’s daughter Ellie saw the attack and tried to save PJ – but his injuries were too severe, and he was euthanised.
The 19-year-old has suffered with panic attacks since then and is “scared to death”.
Aaron says: “The police just haven’t dealt with it. The two incidents are absolutely related.”
The fuming dad has slammed South Yorkshire Police for their response to both attacks.
The police said they don’t believe the two incidents to be related, and that the necessary action was taken over the dog attacks.
Leading the work on dangerous dogs, Inspector Steve Usher said: “On average, we receive five calls for dogs causing fear or harm in our communities every day
“We are committed to doing all we can to safeguard the public, educate and enforce against those who allow their animals to pose a risk.
“On January 2 2026, we received reports that a dog on Cadeby Avenue in Doncaster caused injury to another dog, resulting in the dog having to be put to sleep.
“Officers, through enquiries and witness statements, were unable to ascertain how the victim dog succumbed to its injuries as neither dog had left their own property’s garden.
“As the investigation progressed, it was found that the dog involved had no previous reports of concern to police and had not injured a person.
“In this case, the owner of the dog was made aware that if their dog was to commit further fear or injury, it could be seized, and agreed to work with our officer, engaging in restorative justice and putting measures in place to ensure the dog could not cause injury or fear.”
MPs are pushing for a specialist police team, based at the National Crime Agency, targeting organised car theft gangs.
A Home Office spokesman said the government and police are taking “decisive action” — including bringing in laws to ban electronic devices used in thefts.
Jake Lambert, at Tempcover, said owners of hybrids and EVs needed to be more alert to the threat of theft.
He says: “If you own a C-HR or similar hybrid, standard security measures like steering locks are essential, but you can also be tactical.
“For example, keeping fobs in a Faraday pouch or signal-blocking box and parking your car ‘nose-in’ against a wall or garage door, can act as a deterrent.
“This position blocks access to the front bumper and wheel arches, making it much harder for thieves to reach the headlight wiring often used to hack the vehicle’s computer.”
What cars are on the hit list?
TWO versions of a hugely popular car have shot to the top of thieves’ hit lists, as new figures suggest crooks are becoming far more selective about what they steal.
Rather than going after the usual hot motors, criminals are increasingly homing in on specific makes and trims that offer strong resale value and can be targeted quickly using modern theft techniques.
DVLA theft reports analysed by motoring insurer Tempcover reveal a sharp rise in thefts of the relatively new Toyota C-HR hybrid.
The Toyota C-HR Dynamic HEV CVT has seen the biggest increase, with 437 thefts reported in 2025 – up 28% from 342 in 2024.
And the Toyota C-HR Excel HEV CVT has also been increasingly targeted, with thefts rising to 253 in 2025, up 39% from 182 the year before.
Both versions can cost more than £40,000 when bought new.
Alongside the hybrid SUV, the Ford Fiesta remains the most commonly stolen car in the UK, with demand for parts rising since Ford stopped producing the model.
Elsewhere, MG is beginning to take orders in the UK for the new S9 plug-in hybrid – set to be the brand’s largest model on sale here.
The hulking seven-seat SUV will look to heavily compete with some of the nation’s biggest hitters with an incredibly competitive starting price of £34,205,
At that price, the S9 undercuts the likes of the Chery Tiggo 9, listed at £43,105, and it sits far below more upmarket seven-seat SUVs such as the Land Rover Discovery (from £64,810) and Volvo XC90.
