A TOWN’s former mace-bearer who spent more than half a century in the role has been brutally robbed in his own home.

John Blake, who is known as ‘Mr Monmouth’, was punched to the floor and left with a broken nose, black eyes and a suspected fractured eye socket after two hooded intruders attacked him on his doorstep.

The pensioner (pictured right) had been duped into opening the door of his Overmonnow home late at night on Tuesday, February 18.

When he answered, he said he was rushed by the two robbers, pushed to the floor and repeatedly punched.

One searched his flat and they fled with £50, his credit cards and the key to the van he uses for his scrap metal business.

John told the Review’s sister paper the Monmouthshire Beacon he was attacked after someone claiming to have scrap metal to sell had repeatedly pestered him on the phone late at night before saying they were coming round to his Hendre Close home around 10.20pm.

“The doorbell rang so I knew it was them, and as I opened the door one of them was looking at me, smiling,” he said.

“I didn’t have time to say anything before two hooded men came bursting through the door, kicking out with their feet and pinning me to the stairs.

“One of the intruders got my wallet out of my back pocket and started to hit me all the time, I couldn’t push him off.

“He kept punching me until the other one, who had gone up to my flat and searched it, came back down. They had my credit cards, my driver’s licence and about £50 from my wallet.”

Monmouth mayor Cllr Richard Roden said: “John Blake is a well known character who gave great service to Monmouth as mace-bearer for over 50 years. Many people will find it totally repugnant that anyone would assault John at his home, particularly considering his age.”

Mr Blake, who was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1990, was one of the longest serving mace-bearers in the country when he stepped down in 2018, after serving 47 town mayors and meeting several members of the Royal family.

Perhaps his biggest honour came early in his career, and at the other end of Wales, when he led out the civic procession at the Prince of Wales’ investiture at Caernarfon Castle in 1969. The picture showing the well known Monmouth scrap dealer leading the parade can still be seen at the North Wales castle today.

But his audition for the mace-bearing role in 1965 was somewhat more down to earth.

“The two macebearers at the time both stood down, and as I was working for the council, we were called up to the office to see who would fit into the uniforms,” he recalled at the time of his retirement.

“As I was the right size, I was told ‘you’re macebearer for the next month’, and I never left.”

He met the likes of Princess Diana when she visited the town’s Bridges centre, Princesses Margaret and Anne as well as the Prince of Wales and the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, who asked him “So you’re the mayor then?”, to which John replied, “She’s over there, sir.”

Gwent Police say they believe three people were involved in the attack.

A 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, both from the Monmouth area, were arrested on suspicion of robbery and have been released on police bail pending further investigations.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 ref 2000062453 or Crimestoppers on 0800 55511.