Crypto thieves attack man in home and threaten to kill pregnant wife's baby in 'horrific' robbery

A businessman was beaten with hammers by masked men who broke into his home and threatened to kill his heavily pregnant wife unless he transferred hundreds of thousands of pounds of cryptocurrency.

Speaking to the BBC, the couple, who want to remain anonymous, described the attack as "horrific" and said they feared for their unborn baby's life.

The attackers left in a car driven by a getaway driver after the man transferred his crypto savings.

Crimestoppers are offering a £10,000 reward for information in the attack, which was captured on home security footage and is being investigated by the police.

Experts say it is one of a growing type of violent theft known as a "wrench attack" targeting cryptocurrency investors.

As crypto coins have risen in value, reports of these violent robberies linked to digital assets have emerged in the UK, France and the US.

Once funds are transferred, recovering them can be extremely difficult.

The man, who the BBC is calling James, said three intruders forced their way into their Solihull home before launching an assault which lasted 45 minutes.

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