A DAD fears for his family’s safety after he was was battered with fence posts for asking a gang of teenagers to be quiet.

Ben Whiting, 21, said he is concerned for his partner, Leah Allison, 19, and three-year-old boy, Frankie, after the attack in Pitsea.

The Echo reported how teenagers used bottles, bricks and fence posts as weapons during the terrifying attack, which left Mr Whiting hospitalised with head wounds.

Witnesses described a how a 50-strong gang were “like animals”as they ripped off their shirts and tore down a fence at the back of his terraced home, in Felmores, before attacking him and family friend Anthony Quinn.

Builder Mr Quinn, 48, from Basildon, was knocked unconscious and needed five stitches for a 2ins cut to his head that was so deep, it went through to his skull.

Mr Whiting said: “I had a small group of friends round and could hear people shouting out at the back of the house.

“I went out there and asked them to keep the noise down, but they started kicking the fence in.

“They were launching bottles at the house.

“They broke through the fence and I got hit on the head with part of it.

“It was like something out of a film as they just mobbed us with bottles and punches being thrown at us from all directions.

“They even hit my partner.

“I was bleeding, but then saw my friend was out cold on the floor.

“We had to drag him inside to keep them from hurting him any more.”

A 24-year-old man, who came out to help, was also attacked and received a cut on the right side of his head.

Ambulances took the injured men to Basildon Hospital where they were treated for head wounds.

A teenage girl was also seen holding her jaw as if she had been attacked and police are appealing for the young woman to contact them.

Mr Whiting added: “Gangs around here are getting worse.

“After what happened this weekend, I’m considering moving away, as I don’t want my son growing up in such a dangerous environment.”

Mr Quinn said: “The doctors told us we were lucky to be alive as the kids were using anything they could get their hands on as weapons.

“I got smashed with a paving slab and they were also using the fence with bits of nail sticking out.

“This sort of thing is happening too much in Basildon – it feels like gangs are taking over the streets.”

The trouble began on Saturday evening after a gang of teenagers gate-crashed a nearby party before spilling out into the street at about 11pm.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Det Con Angela Toppin at Basildon CID on 101.

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