And Derek Wilson, 53, who suffered serious internal injuries, will need more operations in the future.

His condition in hospital at Huddersfield is serious but stable.

He was crushed after raiders struck at Key Sales in Birds Royd Lane, Brighouse.

They took a TV and after he tried to stop them, the gang reversed their getaway van at full speed, hitting him and trapping him against another van.

Yesterday it emerged the raiders tried to break into another electronics business – in Atlas Mill, Atlas Mill Road, Brighouse – just 15 minutes before the swoop at Key Sales.

Detective Insp Ash Hewitt said: "The earlier attempted break-in was reported to us later in the day and after viewing footage from both the companies' CCTV cameras it is clear the same gang were responsible.

"I believe these were thieves trawling the area seeing what they could chance upon."

The robbers used a white Ford Transit van, with cloned plates, YD51 JXZ.

The registration number is registered to a company in Pontefract and police know the genuine vehicle was in Pontefract on Tuesday.

Detective Insp Hewitt said the van the robbers used would have damage to the nearside rear-light cluster.

He urged anyone who saw a van fitting the description or who repaired the lights on a white Transit to call police.

Police have descriptions of two of the men. Both are described as white and in their mid to late 20s.

One is described as tall and thin, with dark, shaggy, hair and a moustache. The second is large, about 5ft 10ins, scruffy and also had a moustache.