A FATHER-OF-SIX was knocked unconscious by knife-wielding muggers who attacked him yards from his Bradford home.

Mehrban Hussain suffered a head injury and a badly swollen eye, cuts to his hands and bruised legs when he was punched to the ground and repeatedly kicked in a vicious gang attack.

Father-of-six Mr Hussain, 47, had gone to investigate a noise in an alleyway behind his house when he was ambushed.

His wife, Ghazala Hussain, said her husband had been fortunate not to be more seriously hurt.

"They knocked him out and kicked and punched him, then they just left him on the ground. It could have been much worse. It was a brutal beating."

Mrs Hussain said her husband had been at the back door of their home in Portwood Street, Daisy Hill, Bradford, when he heard a noise.

She said: "He thought it was suspicious, like someone was hanging around up to no good at the bungalows behind us. He went down the snicket to have a look and somebody jumped over the wall that borders Lynfield Mount Hospital.

"He asked my husband for a cigarette. He said no and started to turn away. The man had a knuckle duster and punched my husband in the face and he fell to the ground."

Mrs Hussain said at least two other men appeared and they all started kicking him while he was on the ground.

"One of them had a knife and my husband cut his hands trying to hold the knife away."

She said the robbers took the mobile phone her husband was holding, and tried to rifle his pockets but did not steal anything else.

Police attended and Mr Hussain showed them where the attack took place. He was then taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary after feeling wobbly and losing consciousness, following the incident, which happened at about 7.20pm last Thursday.

Mrs Hussain said: "He had a CT scan to check for any skull fractures or swelling to his brain, but he was all right. His right eye is badly swollen and his vision is blurred at the moment. He is seeing an eye specialist this week."

Mrs Hussain said her husband worked at a bakery during the week and drove taxis at the weekend.

She said: "He is a hardworking family man, friendly with everyone and very popular.

"We are really shocked by what has happened. It's a nice quiet street, but we are now looking over our shoulders. Our children are scared. They are afraid people are going to come in the night and attack their dad."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed the incident was being treated as a robbery, and urged anyone with information to contact Detective Constable Ian Walker, at Bradford District CID, via 101, or Crime stoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Officers are studying CCTV cameras and hope to obtain an efit of the main suspect.