A DAD-OF-THREE feared he would not be able to see his children grow up after a thug threw a sandwich bag filled with acid at his face.

As previously reported in the Warrington Guardian, self-employed builder Adam Pritchard, from Lymm, was working at a house on Grammar School Road when he was attacked by a 'cowardly' stranger who is still at large more than two years on.

The courageous 39-year-old has shared his heart-breaking story again on the BBC's Crimewatch Roadshow this week.

His injuries have been so serious that he is still unable to work.

"They set out on that day to take everything away from me," said Adam who has been supported by his loving fiancée Kerrie Deavall.

"They threw it at my face and they threw it at my eyes.

"It is the most cowardly thing anybody can do to anybody.

"They tried to take my ability to work and my ability to see my children grow up."

Adam, who is a proud dad to three daughters Brionie, Katie and Megan, was building an orangery at a customer's home in Lymm on August 4, 2017 when he heard a noise coming from the back of the property.

Warrington Guardian:

Adam with his daughters

When he went to investigate he saw a man looking through the window, claiming he was looking for scrap metal. A second man was round the front of the property.

The 38-year-old challenged both men, who quickly became verbally aggressive.

He said: “The little one said ‘I’ll come back here and stab you’ – I just thought it was an empty threat. I didn’t expect him to come back.”

Days later on August 7 at around 9.20am, Adam was unloading his van when one of the men returned and attacked him with a sandwich bag filled with a corrosive substance.

Police say it was 10 per cent hydrochloric acid, known as builder's acid because it is often used by builders to clean brick work.

“It was like a horror film when you don’t hear anything then suddenly someone is stood in front of you,” he said.

“I could see him lifting his arm and I thought he had a brick or a knife. I was waiting for the impact but it just felt like a water bomb.

“That’s when I saw the floor was fizzing, my arms were stinging and I started to shake.”

Adam quickly ran to a wheelbarrow filled with water and immediately started to wash his face.

His quick-thinking saved his face from any major damage but his arms and legs were severely burned.

Warrington Guardian:

Some of the damage

Psychologically, it has also been an emotional and difficult journey to recovery after he was rushed to hospital for treatment.

Adam, who is unable to use one of his hands, is still struggling more than two years after the attack and is unable to work.

But the brave dad has refused to be beaten and, with the support of his family, he is determined to make the most of every day – despite the agonising pain he endures on a daily basis.

"I am still in pain, I am on loads of tablets.

"It has been horrible.

"They tried to take everything away from me that day, they tried to take away my ability to see my kids grow up.

"I did nothing wrong, I still can't work out why they wanted to do what they did to me."

Warrington Guardian:

Kerrie said: "Adam has always been the bread winner so to have that taken away has been a massive strain to all of us."

Insp Hannah Friend, from Cheshire Police, has issued a public plea for help on BBC’s Crimewatch Roadshow Live.

She said: “It’s hard to understand what motivates people to carry out these types of attacks – fortunately they are very rare in Cheshire. But it’s clear they have a huge impact on the victim.

“The offender has pre-planned this attack from a few days before when the argument first took place. It is cowardly and vengeful.”

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Adam’s story was shared as part of the BBC One series broadcast on Monday.

Anyone with information about the acid attack is urged to call Cheshire Police, quoting incident number 231 on August 7, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.