Kevin Taylor, from Harpurhey, was putting his shopping into the trunk of his car when he heard shouting outside Morrisons, on Poplar Street. Glancing over he noticed a mother and daughter shouting at a man, who then produced a knife and brandished it at them.

Kevin, who has a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, leapt over the hood of a car and tackled the man to the floor before pinning him down between two vehicles. The 35-year-old snapped the weapon in two and pinned the attacker to the ground until police arrived. Police have praised Kevin for his quick-thinking actions after officers arrested the man.

The former army medic was shopping with his wife and children after picking them up from school when the scene unfolded. Shortly afterward Kevin’s wife, Bernie, shared an image of him holding the attacker down which has received thousands of comments from Facebook users hailing him as a hero.

Kevin, who is a full-time care-giver for his wife, said:

A woman was saying get away from me. I saw a man following two women. I came round the car and he had a knife. He had gone at them with a knife, I jumped over the bonnet and hit him. Then I got him on the floor, I snapped the knife. I didn’t know how I did it.

He added: Nothing was going through my head at the time. I saw the woman and kids, I was glad I was there. It has been overwhelming I didn’t expect to get this reaction. I have laughed it off.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: We arrested a man for possession of an offensive weapon. Fortunately, the woman wasn’t hurt, thanks to the quick thinking of the man who stepped in and managed to get the knife off the man.

(H/T Manchester Evening News)