A journalist's husband was stabbed in the head by a young thug in the street - just days after the couple moved into their new home.

Kent Messenger Group journalist Debbie Eales was with her husband Philip Allen when he asked a group of youths outside their house to be quiet.

Philip's scalp was gouged by one of the youths - believed to be in his late teens - who was riding a stolen motorbike in Saltings Road, Snodland, Kent in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

He bled heavily from the wound, inflicted by a screwdriver, and the gang of about six youths beat him to the ground and kicked him in the head. He suffered a 2cm long gash in his head and severe bruising to his face and jaw.

Debbie, who is editor of the KM Press Agency and Kent Courts Reporting Agency, said: "My husband and I went out to sort out some youngsters who were riding a stolen bike up and down our road at 2.30am and he got stabbed in the head.

"I was standing in the road screaming as seven members of a teenage gang dived on top of him and started punching and kicking him. He is better now but needed stitches after the attack."

The incident began when the couple left their house to remonstrate with the motorcyclist.

Philip said: "I went towards them and asked what was happening. I yelled to the motorcyclist to stop. He came past me twice and then started to slow down. When he stopped the bike he flew at me.

"We grappled with each other but he must have had a screwdriver on him because he got it out and gouged at my head. At the time I didn't feel it. Very quickly the gang started on me. They got me to the ground and waded in with blows and kicks."

He was taken to Maidstone Hospital by ambulance and was kept in for seven hours.Maidstone and Malling Police are now hunting the youths and are investigating the theft of the motorbike - and an arson - all on the same night.

The motorbike had been stolen earlier that day and residents heard it racing up and down Saltings Lane from 2.30pm on Monday until the time of the stabbing. After the attack on Philip, the bike was torched.

He said residents had first reported the motorcyclist to the police in the afternoon but had not received any response.

An investigation has been launched by Kent Police to look into the 999 call records related to the incident and discover whether officers could have intervened earlier.

Philip said: "When they arrived the police did a fantastic job. But I am very disappointed that these thugs were not stopped earlier. It should not take a stabbing with a screwdriver to bring them out."

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