Victim is dragged along the street by his own vehicle as he tries to stop a car thief in Manchester

Manolis Mourikis, 33, was hit by his own car when he tried to stop a thief from taking it in Manchester City Centre
Police have released CCTV of the incident in a bid for witnesses
The stolen car was then smashed into the front of a bar the next morning
Bar owners believe it could have been a targeted attack and say someone could have been killed

Published: 11:48 GMT, 6 November 2016 | Updated: 13:52 GMT, 6 November 2016

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Shocking CCTV footage has been released of a man being hit by his own car as he tries to stop a thief making off with it in Manchester.

Police in the city have released the footage after the car was stolen in the city centre on October 15 and then involved in a crash 14 hours later.

In the horrific footage, a silver car is being driven down an alleyway when a man comes into view chasing after it.

The CCTV shows the car owner chasing after the thief after his car is taken in a narrow road in Manchester city centre

As he opens the door, the thief decides to reverse the car, forcing the owner to the ground

The owner manages to get back up and is seen running in front of the car as it speeds back up and terrifies other pedestrians in the road

The thief can be seen leaning out of the car as he pulls the now broken door shut and speeds away

The owner, named by Manchester Evening News as Manolis Mourikis, 33, gets alongside the car, which stops, and he is able to open the door, but the thief reverses quickly, knocking the owner to the ground and he tumbles over.

He jumps back up and runs across the front of the car, which now has a badly damaged door.

After crashing into a red car pulling up behind, the silver car pulls away, with the owner running in fear and other pedestrians fleeing to the sides of the alleyway.

The driver appears to slow down as he leans out to close the now-broken door.

Footage from a CCTV camera outside a bar in another part of the city shows the stolen car the next morning

The car reverses between two parked cars and smashes into a bar window, breaking the glass

A spokesman for the bar said the attack could have been deliberate and had someone been in there at the time, they could have been killed

The next day, at about 7.10am, the car was spotted on CCTV near the Second City bar in Manchester.

It is seen reversing into the bar's front window, smashing it, and then driving away.

A spokesman for the bar said they believe it was a targeted attack.

The spokesman told the MEN: 'Most of the glass at the front was smashed. If the second set of doors weren’t there then the car would’ve gone straight through into the bar. Had someone been inside it could’ve killed them.'

A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and assault and is due to answer bail on November 23.

Police Constable Oliver Rose, of GMP's City of Manchester Team, said: 'I am appealing to anyone who witnessed either incident to please get in touch.

'Any information could prove vital in allowing us to make progress with our investigation.'

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 and quote the reference number 1735 of 15/10/16 or 629 of 16/10/16, or call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.