An 11-year-old boy was hit around the head with a hammer when a group of men in balaclavas violently burgled a house in Clayhall this weekend.

At around 9pm on Saturday, January 27, the family were upstairs when they heard a loud crash coming from their home’s ground floor.

A group of five thugs wearing mostly black leather stormed up the stairs and allegedly threatened to kidnap the son if the family did not hand over jewellery and gold.

The mum, 54, spoke to the Recorder about the ordeal, telling of the horrifying moment the gang held her husband down and repeatedly cut his hand with a knife.

“I sat down and didn’t do anything at all - I was in shock,” she said.

“I am so proud of my son, he was so brave, he stood up and showed them where our jewellery was.

“They searched the rest of the house and the horrible men then hit my son around the head with a hammer.

“Luckily my daughter wasn’t there.”

The mother-of-two said the men left a few minutes later.

The family were forced to run barefoot to a neighbour’s house after the men hid their phones to ensure they could not contact emergency services.

“My son is okay physically but he has not completely recovered,” she said.

“He is not sleeping at night and doesn’t want to go out.”

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman confirmed officers were called to an address in Clayhall at 9.15pm.

“The unknown male suspects proceeded to threaten the victims and demand jewellery from them,” she said.

“They took a variety of valuable jewellery and money, they also completed an untidy search of the property for other items.”

Police believe the men gained entry by forcing open a rear ground floor window, as there are tool marks on its frame.

Enquiries are ongoing, and investigating officers insist they are doing all they can to track down the culprits .

The newest crime figures released by the Metropolitan Police reveal there were 19 residential burglaries in Redbridge throughout December.

In response to public outcry over the recent rise in incidents, particularly on social media, the Clayhall Community Centre has organised a public meeting to discuss the issue with police representatives and local councillors.

This meeting is due to take place on February 4 at Glade Primary School, in Harewood Drive, Clayhall from 2-4pm.

If you have any information in relation to this particular incident, contact 101, through the Metropolitan Police website, Twitter @MetCC or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111.