Chairman of GBP100m Klarius Automotive Group is Latest to be Held Hostage in Violent House Robbery

BLACKPOOL, England - With Photo

Entrepreneur Tony Wilson, Chairman and majority shareholder of Klarius, one of Europe’s largest automotive manufacturing businesses was held hostage with his family during a raid on his home on Sunday night in the latest in a string of high value robberies including Eddie Stobart Director Steve O’Connor and Fisherman’s Friend MD Doreen Lofthouse.

Detectives in Northwich are appealing for information from the public following the robbery at the address in Cheshire.

At just after 10pm on the evening of Monday 6th April 2009, a group of men armed with baseball bats and knives entered the house via a rear door. The owner of the property, 51-year old Tony Wilson was attacked and threatened with a knife whilst being forced to identify where valuable items were located within the house. His wife and nineteen-year old daughter were also subjected to threats and were forcibly restrained by the men, each having their hands tied together.

The men made a thorough search of the premises, stealing cash and jewellery. While the offenders continued their search downstairs, Tony Wilson’s wife managed to escape, jumping from a first floor window onto paving flags below, injuring her foot. She fled to a nearby house, where she raised the alarm and police where contacted. It is believed that the offenders fled the house on foot prior to Police arrival.

The family were transported by ambulance to Leighton Hospital for assessment. Fortunately, none of the family received serious injuries but were left traumatised and in shock as a result of the incident.

The Klarius Group, of which Tony Wilson is Chairman, employs over 1,000 people across Europe and has three production facilities in the UK and Italy, has just announced that its GBPmulti-million investment in UK manufacturing and R&D facilities over the last eighteen-months has paid off.

Since the Klarius Group was acquired by Tony Wilson in 2007, the company has been quickly returned to profitability, protecting UK jobs and investing heavily in UK manufacturing. The investment has been focussed on moving production arrangements over to lean manufacturing, fast track product development for exhausts and catalytic converters and in-house logistics facilities.

A representative of the Wilson family has issued a statement saying: “Tony and his family would like to thank the police and support services who have been dealing with the incident and the many people who have sent their good wishes and messages of support”

Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed any persons or cars in the area around the time of the incident, or anyone who has any information in relation to the incident, to contact Northwich CID on +44(0)845-458-0000 or alternatively information can be left anonymously with Crimestoppers on +44(0)800-555-111.

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Source: Klarius automotive group

Press contact: Roland Renshaw, Director, DMA Europa Ltd., Tel: +44(0)1299-405454 email: roland at dmaeuropa.com