Uncle dashes out of his house STARK NAKED to chase 'van driver abducting his niece'

A naked, 18-stone man ran into the street to chase a van driver he thought was abducting his niece but was embarrassed to find out it was a false alarm.

Nathan Murphy, 29, woke up in a panic when he heard his family shouting that 11-year-old Lucy had been taken in North Ormesby, Middlesbrough.

He dashed downstairs, mistakenly grabbing a T-shirt rather than his trousers, before face-planting as he ran to his father Michael's car.

After embarrassing himself in front of neighbours, Nathan found out the whole episode had been a mistake.

However it had been caught on CCTV, which his father Michael then shared on Facebook.

Nathan Murphy, 29, ran out of his house naked to chase a van driver he thought was abducting his niece in North Ormesby, Middlesbrough

Eighteen-stone Nathan fell face-first into his father Michael's car after he woke up in a panic and grabbed what he thought were his trousers

The CCTV video starts with mother-of-four Natalie Murphy, 40, shouting: 'That's our Lucy that is. It's Lucy I swear,' believing the girl is in the back of a white van that can be seen driving off.

She runs out of the front garden towards the street followed by her panicked family.

People shout to ring the police before father-of-two Nathan comes bursting out the house.

He runs towards Michael's car as it reverses and, as the adrenaline makes his legs buckle, falls face first into the door, clutching his T-shirt as his father shouts: 'Get in.'

As Nathan climbs into the car, Natalie realises Lucy is still there. Nathan hobbles back into the house as the family burst into laughter.

Natalie Murphy yells out in alarm, believing her daughter Lucy is in the van (circled)

Natalie runs after the van into the street carrying her two-year-old daughter Kalise as another family member watches on

A relieved Natalie (left) sits down while the family laugh about Nathan's naked appearance

Retired bricklayer Michael, 64, shared the hilarious CCTV footage from July 8 at around 5.45pm online.

Unemployed Nathan who was sleeping at his father's home said: 'As I was waking up all I heard was screaming.

'I opened the window and thought someone had been run over or was getting stabbed or something.

'I jumped up out the bed, tried to find my clothes and I ended up just grabbing a T-shirt thinking it was my bottoms and I flew downstairs.

'When I was on the front I heard 'kidnap' and thought: 'Wow, this is serious.'

Nathan (left) says he was worried local mothers would report him after the whole street saw him naked. Right: Mother-of-four Natalie Murphy, 40, with her 11-year-old daughter Lucy

'I'm a big lad, I'm 18 stone, but I can move when I need to and because the adrenaline was rushing through me I went weak in the legs and I just fell over.

'As I got in the car I saw Lucy come round the corner, so I got out and that's when the embarrassment kicked in.

'I felt stupid and was thinking: 'I hope one of the mothers don't report me' because all their kids had seen my downstairs and I didn't want to be put on some register.'

Natalie, who lives a minute's walk away from Michael's house with Lucy, Kalise, two, and Millie Murphy, nine, said it was a 'mum's worst nightmare'.

Natalie said fearing Lucy had been abducted was a 'mum's worse nightmare'. Left-to-right: Lucy, Michael, Millie, Nathan and Natalie Murphy with Kalise Grange

She said: 'There must have been someone going past, having an argument, booting the van, then I heard 'mam' and I thought someone grabbed her into the back of the van.

'My heart skipped a beat, it was so scary. I was screaming 'Lucy' and then she came round the corner and said 'mam, I thought something was happening to you'.

'Obviously that was a huge relief, then I was walking back to the house and the next thing I know Nathan's outside b*****k naked.

'I couldn't stop laughing, but at least I know he's got my back and I know he's going to be there for me.

'I asked him what he'd have done if it did really happen and he followed this van, because he'd have been bare-a*** boxing with someone.'

Nathan's family watched the CCTV footage 20 minutes after he had run out into the street and they all found it hilarious.

The video shared by Michael online has been shared more than 5,300 times on Facebook but Nathan did not want it to be made public at first.

Nathan said: 'When my dad told us he had the video, I said 'no way'.

'I watched the video back and remember thinking 'don't put that on Facebook, everyone's going to see it'.

'But then with everything that's going on, I saw the bigger picture of it and thought it'd be a good laugh for people and a bit of banter.'

Michael's Facebook post read: 'I know I shouldn't laugh. We thought one of the grandkids was getting kidnapped at the bottom of our road in a white van.

'Watch for Nathan running out b*****k naked. We are howling at him. I know it could have been serious.'

Facebook users flooded the video with comments sharing how hilarious they found the clip once they realised it was a false alarm.

Emma Rankin wrote: 'Eeee god I'm howling can't stop laughing he didn't even put his clothes on in the car just casually got out the car I'm crying x.'

Danielle Mayall commented: 'Hahaha ffs, I don't even know you but I literally cried laughing at this.

'I'd have done the same if I thought one of my kids got dragged in a van, but was the way someone was laughing saying he had his willy out. ffs I can't cope.'

Kayleigh Taylor wrote: 'Aww Natalie my stomach turned when I first played it but I've cried laughing and your Demi could have probably caught the van if she kept on running.'