A man, said to have been knocked down by a car and attacked with weapons in an alleged murder bid, has denied being part of a drug dealing gang or running a protection racket.

Eight Keighley men, including four brothers, are accused of attempting to murder Majid Iqbal.

Mr Iqbal told a jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday he had gone to Belgrave Road, Keighley, at about 10pm on April 23 last year, to collect his car from a cousin when he saw cars parked up, some in the middle of the road.

Mr Iqbal said he heard a car screeching. He told the court he was struck in the leg by a small silver hatchback and knocked to the ground. Mr Iqbal said he saw one of the accused, Faisal Mahmood, in the driver’s seat and other people in the car.

He told the jury that as he tried to get up, another defendant, Basharat Mahmood, struck him on the bridge of the nose with an axe or a sword. He tried to strike him again but Mr Iqbal grabbed the weapon.

Mr Iqbal said another person had a weapon which looked like a samurai sword, which he swung towards him, making contact with his bicep.

He said Batash Karim struck him several times, while Arif Mahmood was also in possession of a sharp weapon. He struck him with it, causing a large scar which ran from under his ear to his lip.

Mr Iqbal said he heard people shouting to kill him and he was kicked by several people while he was on the ground. He claimed he was also struck by Tariq Mahmood.

He said he was treated at hospital for lacerations to his face, neck, arm and shoulder. He suffered damage to his lips and nostrils.

Brothers Arif Mahmood, 32; Basharat Mahmood, 35; Faisal Mahmood, 26; and Majid Mohammed, 25, all of Spencer Street, Keighley, along with Tariq Mahmood, 38, also of Spencer Street; Batash Karim, 31, of Gordon Street, Keighley; Mohamed Qasim Karim, 23, of Eelholme View Street, Beechcliffe, Keighley; and Mohammed Sadib Karim, 29, of Gordon Street, all deny attempting to murder Mr Iqbal, and an alternative charge of wounding him with intent. They also deny wounding Mr Iqbal’s brother, Ansar Iqbal, with intent, and violent disorder.

The four brothers also plead not guilty to wounding Omar Safdar with intent, in an incident three days earlier.

The court has been told Majid Iqbal’s injuries could easily have proved fatal.

Cross-examined by Arif Mahmood’s barrister, David McGonigal, Mr Iqbal denied he was part of the Top Enders gang which dealt in drugs.

He declared: “I have never been arrested on suspicion of drugs, neither has any of my family.”

Mr Iqbal also denied that he and his family ran a protection racket and asked businesses in the area to pay a levy. He denied that he had asked Arif Mahmood for protection money and it was refused, or that his business was targeted by fire because of his failure to pay.

The trial continues.