Neighbours have described the “horrible” attack by a gang of thugs on a Wembley family that left a mother who had been holding her baby with a broken leg.

People living in the St Raphael’s Estate told the Harrow Times of their fear for their safety after a gang of men brutally attacked a man and woman who confronted them about their noisy behaviour late on Saturday night.

The victims, a 52-year-old Nigerian man and his wife, 39, who was holding her one-year-old baby at the time, were badly beaten by the 15-strong group after going out to see what the noise was outside their flat in Rainborough Close at 11.30pm.

The assault, which broke the woman’s leg in three places and has left her in hospital, caused her to drop her child, although the baby escaped unharmed.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, described calling police after witnessing the gang start their brutal attack, and said bottles had been thrown at her.

She added that a group of young men had targeted the flats before and tried to steal from people living there.

She said: “I do feel scared living here now, it looked really dangerous – it’s just horrible.

“There were people coming from all over the place and punching and kicking them. I just thought ‘they are my neighbours’ and I had to do something so I called the police.

“They came within ten minutes but they had all already run away.”

Detectives investigating the attack have appealed for information from witnesses and Brent Police yesterday promised “a swift and strong response” if people came forward.

The suspects are described as a group of black men aged between 20-30.

Sheela Laxmidas, who lives in the cul-de-sac, said that she was scared to leave her flat because groups of men regularly gained entry to the block of flats and intimidated residents.

She said: “There are always people coming in here, sitting on the steps, drinking alcohol and smoking weed.

“I don’t know who it is that lets them in, but I do feel scared because I live alone.

“I’m going to ask the council to put more locks on my door to try and make it safer.”

Anyone with information about the attack should call Brent Police’s Violent Crime Unit on 0208 733 3709 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.