The incident happened in Lagan Grove in Mayfield on Monday night. Neighbours reported that, at approximately 11.30pm there was a knock on their door.

The man from the Polish family, who is understood to work as a chef, was looking for help.

A fire had been started in a stolen wheelie bin in his drive by a large gang, estimated to be aged between mid teens and early 30s, who were gathered around it.

The neighbours brought the man back down to get his wife. Luckily the couple’s young son and older daughter were not in the house at the time.

His wife initially stayed in the house as she was too scared so the man came back with the neighbours to ring the firebrigade and gardaí. They then went back up to the house to get his wife. The neighbours said bottles were being thrown by the gang.

The man went back up to collect some belongings so they could go and stay at a friend’s house.

The neighbours then heard a commotion outside and found the man being attacked and his wife trying to protect him.

One man has so far been arrested in relation to the incident.

The couple’s daughter, Roxanne, said the family have now decided to give the house back to Cork City Council because they are too scared to live there.

“They were trying to take away my dad’s life and they were trying to put the house on fire,” Roxanne told UTV Ireland. “If my brother was still in the house, how would they have been escaping with my brother? My brother would not be able to protect himself. They were throwing bottles at my dad and my mum. We are definitely not going to move up here. Safety is more important.”