A family have told of their terror when masked robbers burst into their home and threatened them with fake guns and other weapons.

Foster carers Qurban Hussain and his wife Sughra Bi, were asleep in their bungalow, along with daughters Sophia, 29, and Alia, 28, who has cerebral palsy, five-year-old grandson Bakir, and their ten-year-old foster son, when the armed gang smashed their way through the front door early yesterday.

The shocked family were held in their bedrooms and threatened with replica guns, a hammer and a crowbar, while demands were made to hand over gold.

The vicious gang stole a quantity of gold jewellery, some of it of sentimental value, and other items. The raiders even took cash from little Bakir’s money box which he had been saving for a birthday present.

The robbers disconnected the home phone line and took the family’s mobile phones so they could not raise the alarm, but Mrs Bi managed to escape and run to a nearby phone box to call 999. The gang then panicked and fled.

The robbery happened at the family’s home in Brantwood Drive, Heaton, Bradford, at about 3am.

Sophia, who works as a hospital interpreter, said: “Two masked men came into my bedroom. One had a hammer and the other had what looked like a real gun. They told us to get up, but my sister couldn’t. She was really upset. I thought he was going to kill us. My child was upset and crying.”

The mobsters smashed a mirror with a hammer and threatened to hit Mr Hussain with it.

The gang left one of the guns behind when they fled, which was found to be a replica.

Sophia said there had been an incident at the house the previous week when someone tried to foce entry through the front door. They left when she threatened to call police. On both occasions a black Audi Q7 car was used.

Sophia said: “We all live decent lives and work very hard for what we have. Some of the gold jewellery was my grandma’s and is of sentimental value. All that I have left is one ring and a bangle.

“I urge any gold shops who might be offered our jewellery, not to buy it. We urge anyone who has any idea who has done this to tell the police. These men are very dangerous and we don’t want them to harm someone else.”