The shocking moment a thug drags lollipop man, 82, to the floor to steal his sign - leaving him too scared to return to work

• Dramatic CCTV footage shows suspect dragging lollipop man off the road
• Attacker then grabs lollipop sign off victim before throwing him to the floor
• 82-year-old victim who manned crossing for last 14 years left traumatised
• Police said he was attacked because he refused to give up 'treasured sign'
• Mystery stranger later confronted suspect and retrieved iconic lollipop sign
• Resident: 'It is so awful that a man can be attacked in such a savage way'
• Do you know the mystery passer-by who retrieved the sign? Email emma.glanfield@mailonline.co.uk

By Emma Glanfield for MailOnline

Published: 12:50 EST, 28 January 2015 | Updated: 15:40 EST, 28 January 2015

This is the shocking moment a thug viciously grabbed an elderly lollipop man and shoved him to the floor before running off with his sign.

Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident shows the 82-year-old victim being attacked after he walked out to stop traffic on a busy road in Coventry.

The dedicated lollipop man, who travels 10 miles every day to help out at the school crossing and who has manned the street for the last 14 years, has now been left too traumatised to return to the position.

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Police have released dramatic CCTV footage of the shocking incident which shows the suspect (circled left) approaching the lollipop man (far right), before grabbing him and throwing him to the ground in Coventry

The suspect approached the lollipop man (pictured) as he stopped traffic on a busy Coventry road last week

The suspect can be seen grabbing hold of the lollipop man before leading him back towards the pavement

The moment elderly lollipop-man had his lollipop stolen

The 20-second video clip shows the suspect, who is dressed in dark clothing with a hood up, standing on the pavement as the lollipop man walks out into the road.

However, instead of crossing the road, the suspect then strides towards his victim and grabs him before dragging him back onto the pavement.

When the lollipop man refuses to give up his beloved sign, the suspect pushes him to the floor and yanks the stick out of his hand before running off.

Three young women can then be seen running to the aid of the victim who lies helplessly on the floor. Police said the pensioner was left with injuries to his left side following the incident, and is too scared to return to the streets.

The man, who does not wish to be named, had proudly patrolled various school sites across Coventry for the last 14 years and is a familiar face to hundreds of youngsters and parents.

Police said he was attacked because he refused to give up his 'treasured crossing sign'.

However, officers also revealed that the man had since been reunited with his sign after a kind-hearted passer-by managed to confront the suspect and retrieve it.

West Midlands Police said the mystery stranger spotted a man getting out of a blue Vauxhall Vectra car with the lollipop stick and confronted him before getting the sign back.

Officers would now like to speak to the suspect who carried out the 'callous robbery' at 4.38pm on January 21.

Detective Inspector Gareth Mason, of Coventry Investigation Team, said: 'The pensioner has done this job for over 14 years and he was not prepared to just hand over his treasured crossing sign.

'He refused to let go and ended up in a struggle with his assailant, ultimately leading to the robber pushing his elderly victim to the floor before running off with the lollipop stick.

'This is a particularly senseless offence against an elderly man, who is carrying out a public duty.

'Since the attack, the victim has been too distressed and shaken by what happened to return to work − something that has devastated him after so many years of devoted service.

'He also suffered injuries to his left side as a result of the fall. It is only through fortune that the injuries were not more serious.

'We are determined to identify the offender and request the help of the local community or anybody who witnessed the offence.'

The suspect, dressed in dark clothing and with a hood up, drags the helpless victim towards the road side

The offender then grabs the lollipop sign out of his victim's hand and shoves him, prompting the victim to fall

The lollipop man (dressed in high visibility clothing) can be seen falling to the floor as the suspect runs off

Three young girls came to the aid of the helpless lollipop man and police now wish to speak to the suspect

Residents living in Humber Road, where the attack occurred, have expressed their shock at the brutal attack.

Teaching assistant John Neal, 32, said: 'It is so awful that a lollipop man can be attacked in such an unprovoked and savage way.

'The city doesn't have many lollipop men or women left so the fact the old guy was out there helping people cross the road is testament to his caring nature.

'The scumbag who did this should be strung up. What on earth will they do with a lollipop stick? It's probably only worth a few pounds and who the hell would buy it?'

West Midlands Police has released the CCTV as part of attempts to trace the suspect, and a force spokesman added: 'We would like to speak to this person in connection with a callous robbery of an elderly lollipop man.'

The offender is described as a white man, around 6ft 2in tall, of athletic build, in his late 20s to early 30s, with bushy or thick hair. He was wearing dark clothing.

Anyone who has any information about the robbery is urged to call West Midlands Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Do you know the man who confronted the suspect and successfully retrieved the lollipop sign? Email emma.glanfield@mailonline.co.uk