Two brothers who kept their mother and sister as slaves and forced them to wash in a small bucket of water have been put behind bars for more than two years.

Faisal Hussein, 25, and Arbaaz Ahmed, 19, told their family members they were not allowed to turn on the taps at the property in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

During the 'appalling and disgraceful' 18-month period of abuse, the two women were given £1 a month to spend on essential sanitary products.

A judge at Bradford Crown Court said the violent assault on their 30-year-old sister was 'almost unimaginable to any decent human being.'

This is the street in Bradford where Faisal Hussein, 25, and Arbaaz Ahmed, 19, kept their mother and sister as slaves

The brothers used the buckle of a belt, a wooden spoon and a shoe during the sustained and repeated assault on their sister.

The judge added that to treat another human in that way was unforgivable, more so because it was their sister and mother.

He said the mother and the sister 'were essentially your slaves' and the assault on their sister involved 'absolutely appalling violence'.

Hussein and Ahmed, both of Bradford, admitted assaulting their sister Ruhee Hussein on May 16 this year.

The pair also admitted using controlling and coercive behaviour on her and their mother, Nasara Hussein, 53, between January 1, 2016 and May 16, 2017.

Judge Jonathan Rose said: 'It culminated in a violent assault upon your own sister which is almost unimaginable to any decent human being.'

On the day of the assault, Ruhee felt unwell but was made to clean the bathroom and was not allowed any breakfast, the court heard.

She was then ordered into the living room, where both brothers slapped her head, face and ear.

Ahmed armed himself with a metal-buckled belt, wrapped it round his hand and struck his sister with the buckle.

He hit her so hard with a wooden spoon that it broke. Hussein struck her with her own shoe.

Ahmed kicked his sister to the floor, where they continued to punch and slap her. She suffered excruciating pain and felt as if she was going to die.

She was thrown out of the house and was seen in a distressed state by a member of the public who contacted police.

The brothers gave their mother and sister just £1 a month so they could buy essential sanitary products, Bradford Crown Court (pictured) heard

Ahmed's barrister, Nick Worsley, said the teenager had witnessed similar contact between his father and female members of the family, which may have made it appear acceptable to behave in such a way.

He would do anything to make up for his mistakes and promised to do nothing like it again.

Andrea Parnham, representing Hussein, said he was utterly ashamed and sorry for what he had done.

Hussein was jailed for 32 months and Ahmed was sentenced to the same time in youth custody.

Both were made subject of a five-year restraining order prohibiting them from contacting the complainants.