The manager of a village pub near Bradford on Avon who is trained in the martial arts said he now sleeps with a pickaxe handle by his bed after thieves broke in and stole hundreds of pounds of cash.

Jake McBride, 19, has had to learn the tricks of the trade quickly after taking over as temporary manager at the Wadworth Brewery-owned pub The Old Ham Tree, in Holt, last month.

The pub was burgled between 2.30am and 10am on Saturday, and police believe the culprits also tried to break into two nearby houses.

Trained kickboxer Mr McBride, who grew up in Bradford on Avon before moving to Holt, said: “It was Saturday morning when I came down the stairs and noticed that there was a chair out of place.

“I wondered why it was in the middle of the room and couldn’t work out what was going on.

“I then saw that the kitchen curtain was blowing and the kitchen door was wide open. I pretty much realised what had gone on then.

“I looked out the back and there was a load of mess where they had broken the gates.

“I came back in and felt under the till and realised they had taken the bottom part of the till out with a few hundred pounds cash in it.

“They also stole some charity boxes, which personally I think is absolutely disgusting.”

The charity boxes were in aid of children’s charity Barnados and The Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Mr McBride said: “They didn’t do a lot of damage which is, I suppose, quite nice of them.

“I have improved the security measures in here a lot more now to stop it happening again. We have got cameras and a better alarm system.

Sgt Neil Berrett, of Bradford on Avon police, said: "I don't condone the use of a weapon in any circumstances and the main message is for people to keep their premises secure in the first place.

"Whilst reassuring the community in Holt that burglaries are a rare occurrence I would like to remind people that simple security measures like keeping keys out of reach from cat flaps for instance, reduces the opportunities for these offences to be committed.

"I would very much like to hear from anybody who saw anybody suspicious that night in or around Holt particularly near the Old Ham Tree.

"If anybody has any knowledge of who the offenders are they can call us on 0845 408 7000.

"We have spoken with the local Neighbourhood watch, and the local beat manager PC Martin Barrett keeps a regular contact with residents in Holt."