Police have revealed that a mum-of-two was attacked with a crowbar as she tried to protect her two young children and elderly mother-in-law from a gang of violent thieves who broke into her home.
"They even threatened to harm two very young children while striking their mum repeatedly with a crowbar"
Detectives said the 28-year-old mum was asleep when she heard loud noises coming from the downstairs. She crept down and saw her kitchen door had been kicked in.
Hearing her elderly mother-in-law call for help, she rushed to her aid - only to find herself confronted by up to five men.
One of the men produced a crowbar and threatened to attack her two young children - a four-year-old boy and her 12-month-old girl - unless she gave him all her cash and jewellery.
But, before the woman could reply, the man began to hit her arms and legs with the crowbar, before ransacking the house in a bid to find valuable items.
Before the end of the terrifying raid, the gang then threatened the woman's elderly mother-in-law with a hammer, and hit the young mum several more times with the crowbar.
Eventually they left, leaving the family traumatised.
Police have now released a CCTV still of the offenders moments before they forced their way into the home and carried out the attack.
The still clearly shows one member of the gang carrying the crowbar.
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Detective Constable Michael O'Connor, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "The facts of this appalling and shocking robbery speak for themselves.
"The sheer brutality of the violence defies belief and the fact they even threatened to harm two very young children while striking their mum repeatedly with a crowbar tells its own story about how wicked the culprits are.
"Not content with that, they also threatened an elderly woman with a hammer. They are clearly a dangerous gang and we need to find them without delay before any other family can be subjected to such violence.
"They are clearly a dangerous gang and we need to find them without delay before any other family can be subjected to such violence"
"We are continuing to offer support to the family at what is clearly a difficult time and the best support we can offer is to take these men off the streets and lock them up.
"I would therefore appeal to anyone who has information about this robbery to come forward. Any information you have, no matter how trivial you might think it is, could contain a vital clue that helps us find these men so please, if you do know anything, call us."
Anyone with information should call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.