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A dad-of-six and his family fled their home under armed guard after suffering years of abuse for converting from Islam to Christainity .

Nissar Hussain says his family are distraught but he believes "there is no other choice" as he fears he could be killed if he stays.

Mr Hussain, who appeared in a Channel 4 TV documentary about mistreatment of Muslim converts, says he has suffered "seven years of persecution" after changing religion.

The 50-year-old was even hospitalised last year after being subjected to a brutal attack with a pick-axe that left him with a shattered kneecap and broken hand.

(Image: SWNS)

(Image: SWNS)

Two hooded men, one armed with a pick-axe handle, were caught on CCTV assaulting him, in what police are treating as a hate crime.

He claimed his family became "prisoners in their own home" as neighbours attack them in the street, smash their car windscreens and throw eggs at their windows.

As a result the family had been planning to leave their home in Bradford, West Yorkshire, for the past year, but police swooped in this week as they feared for his safety.

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(Image: SWNS)

(Image: SWNS)

Mr Hussain said the culmination of the "extreme persecution" by hardline Muslim residents had devastated his family and the dramatic arrival of armed police was a complete surprise.

He said: "My family are distraught and extremely traumatised to be leaving.

"But when your life is at stake there is no other choice."

Mr Hussain converted to Christianity 20 years ago, but says in recent years he has been subjected to harassment and violence by sections of the Islamic community, particularly after documentary Holy War aired.

(Image: SWNS)

He said: "This extreme persecution by certain people in the Muslim community because we are converts has broken us as a family.

"We are fragmented and I do not know how we will recover from this. We haven't functioned properly for years."

He said "serious questions" needed to be answered.

At the time of the attack last year, Mr Hussain said he and his family were being driven out of the city and he was making plans to leave.

This week he had started packing up his belongings when the police arrived on Thursday.

(Image: SWNS)

He briefly returned home on Friday to collect more items, with police guarding, before leaving Bradford for good.

Mr Hussain, who was a nurse before leaving work due to post-traumatic stress disorder, said his six children, aged eight to 24, and wife would never see their friends again.

He had been expecting an attack for some months, but when the police arrived he was "none the wiser" that he was at such serious risk.

He said: "The armed police arrived at about 3pm on Thursday.

(Image: SWNS)

"I had been loading a van up with our belongings for eight hours, having to stealthily check no-one could see what I was doing, before they arrived.

"It took me completely by surprise, but their [the police] professionalism was deeply reassuring, and they escorted my family and I to a safe haven outside Yorkshire."

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said hate crime would not be tolerated and officers had been working with the family.

He said: "Our priority has always been to work effectively with our partners to minimise the risk to Mr Hussain and ensure that we maximise opportunities to put control measures in place to safeguard him, his family and consider any wider impact upon the communities across West Yorkshire.

(Image: SWNS)

"We are disappointed that Mr Hussain and his family have decided to leave Bradford, particularly as police and partners have been working together for some time to try and resolve the situation to the benefit of all parties concerned."

He added that an investigation is continuing.

The spokesman continued: "Police and partners would like to stress that there are a number of other people living in the Bradford district who have not experienced any issues based on their faith, conversion to another faith or choosing not to have a faith.

"West Yorkshire Police treat incidents of hate crime extremely seriously and will always put the needs of the victim at the heart of the investigation and strive to provide the desired outcome for the victim.

"Under no circumstances will hate crime be tolerated."