A 65-YEAR-OLD man who was left hospitalised by a horrific attack after a gang of men entered his house while he slept has spoken out after his ordeal.

David Brooks spent a week in hospital following the brutal assault which left him with five broken ribs and bruising and swelling to much of his body including his face, neck, arms and torso.

In the early hours of last Wednesday morning, David had fallen asleep on his sofa in his upstairs flat at Burnside Cottages in Mickley, while watching a film.

"I hadn't gone downstairs and locked the door," he explained.

"The next thing I knew was I woke up and there was a man. He had punched me and he was asking where the money was - and it wasn’t just one at a time - he kept hitting me and asking where the money was.

"I was saying ‘what money? There is no money.’ But he just kept hitting me again and again, then he dragged me around a bit."

David eventually managed to get to his jeans which were on a nearby chair, and the attacker took what David believes was between £60 and £70 from his wallet, as well as 1,900 Thai Baht - equating to around £43 - and some bank cards.

He heard the voices of another two men who he believes were in the house at the time, although he said only one man was involved in the assault.

"I'm not sure what happened after that. I think I fell down the stairs because I got up and got out of the door," David said.

"I was shouting hoping someone would hear and phone the police, but they dragged me back in."

He said one of the men threw a towel over his head to prevent him from seeing anything before they fled.

David's son Andrew, who lives nearby in Prudhoe, rushed him to hospital. He described seeing his father's injuries as ‘heartbreaking’.

Police said two men - aged 29 and 44 - were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, but both men have since been released under investigation.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "Anyone with information which could assist the investigation should contact us on 101 quoting reference number 130 08/08/18.”

David added: “It’s terrible. Maybe I should have had the door locked but that’s not the point. You should be able to be safe in your own home without having the door locked 24/7."