A MILKMAN fought off a masked attacker who smashed him over the head with a pickaxe handle.

Alan Hodkinson was on his Ingleton milkround when a darkly-dressed figure wearing a black balaclava launched a vicious attack at 6.30am on Monday, January 8.

PC Tony Ingram, from Settle police, explained that Mr Hodkinson was hit from behind as he delivered his milk in the pre-dawn hours.

"It was all over and done with in seconds," said PC Ingram.

"The milkman had delivered to a house on Thacking Lane, he came back to the milk van and out of the blue received a blow to the back of the head.

"He did not know where it came from, but he kept his wits about him.

Whoever it was went to hit him again but he protected himself with his arms and grabbed the pickaxe handle.

The attacker ended up on top of him before he eventually released his grip on the pickaxe and ran off."

Following the attack Mr Hodkinson, who lives with his wife and son at Thornton-in-Lonsdale, made his way to a nearby newsagents shop and raised the alarm.

He was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary suffering from cuts and grazes to the back of his head, cuts to his cheek and hand and bruising to his forearm.

He was treated and released later that day but has since been back to hospital for X-rays.

North Yorkshire police say that robbery does not appear to have been the motive for the attack and that Mr Hodkinson is unlikely to have disturbed a burglar at that time in the morning.

They refused to speculate about the motive but say they are interested in tracing the driver of a dark blue, Transit-type van, possibly a Nissan, which was seen driving in the area shortly before the attack and leaving at speed shortly afterwards.

Anyone with information about the attack should call Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111 or Skipton police on 01756-793377.

Mr Hodkinson declined to comment.