ROBBERS savagely attacked an ill and vulnerable man after smashing their way into his home.

The six ‘burly’ intruders wearing balaclavas broke through the chained door before punching the helpless victim in the face and getting away with £150.

Police say the man fell backwards as they smashed the door and the intruders trod on him as they barged into the house.

His glasses were broken and he suffered cuts and bruises to his face.

The victim had been visited by men who charged him £600 to have trees in his garden chopped down and were aggressively trying to persuade him to pay another £400 to have the wood cleared.

The man refused the further work on three further visits and police are investigating a possible link between the tree fellers and the robbery.

The 64-year-old victim – described as vulnerable and infirm – has been left scared to go out, even into his own garden in Broadwey, Weymouth.

“They gave me the fright of my life and I’ve lost a lot of money,” he said.

“I was not warned about what would happen because it’s not happened to me before.”

His sister added: “They punched him in the face demanding to know where his money was.

“He didn’t tell them but they found it.

“They ransacked the place – pulling out drawers.

“He is a vulnerable adult and I speak to him every day.

“They target the elderly and anybody they think will let them get away with things.”

She said her brother was visited unannounced weeks before the robbery by a man who was very friendly and stressed that the trees needed to be cleared to prevent neighbours complaining.

She said when they disagreed about having more work done the man said to her brother “we are still friends aren’t we?”

PC Kevin Eames said there is no provable link between the tree fellers and the burglars but is investigating the possibility that the two are linked.

He said: “It’s dreadful. We’ve had them around quite a lot in different parts of the town.

“They went to this house and told him trees were hanging over and said ‘we can do that for you now no problem’.

“The man went upstairs and got the money and this indicated to the men that he had cash in the premises.

“When they came back they said they were willing to remove some of the wood at £400 a load.

“At this point the man said declined the men came back twice more. They would have come back to do it time and time again, taking small amounts of wood at £400 a time if he had not been brave enough to say no. The more they came back demanding money the more aggressive their ‘sales technique’ was.”

PC Eames said other residents in Upwey have been paying excessive amounts to anonymous cold callers for work that often causes more damage.

He added: “This household was particularly vulnerable which made it even more despicable.

“This is as wrong as it can go.

“But there’s a group of people that go around ripping the elderly and vulnerable off.

“It’s their way of making a living and there’s been a number of convictions before.”

PC Eames is appealing for anybody who receives similar visitors or who has any information about the burglary at 6pm on New Year’s Eve to contact Dorset Police on 01305 222222.