A MAN will have to have his face rebuilt with metal plates after he was beaten and ‘left for dead’ near to a mosque.

Speaking publicly Haroon Hussain, 28, said he was set upon by a gang of ten to fifteen men armed with hammers, knives, axes and baseball bats after his car was deliberately shunted.

He sustained severe facial injuries, including a broken nose, broken eye sockets, and fractures to his cheek bones and upper jaw.

Call centre worker Haroon, known as ‘Harry’, will have to undergo extensive reconstructive surgery.

Haroon said that as soon as he stepped out of his car by the Madinah mosque in Oak Street, Blackburn, he was ambushed by the men.

He said he was attacked from behind as the men chased him from his car.

Haroon said: “I was visiting my uncle on Monday night, and these men decided to attack me in the road outside the mosque.

“My car was shunted into from behind. I got out of the car to have a look and before I had time to see anything there were men with hammers, knives, axes and baseball bats attacking me.

“They chased me into the mosque grounds and beat me unconscious. I was left for dead.”

Mr Hussain said that he believed he would have been killed had a neighbour not heard the attack and intervened.

He said: “I think that was the only reason that they stopped.

“If they hadn’t been disturbed it could have been murder. I was beaten up and left to die.”

Mr Hussain also said his car, a silver Chrysler 300c, was stolen and vandalised in the attack.

The vehicle is now undergoing forensic examination.

Noor Mohammed, president of the Madinah mosque, condemned the violence.

He said: “I don’t like it at all, not just near a mosque, but wherever it happens.

“Violence like this is bad wherever it happens, I condemn it near a mosque, near a church or in the street.”

Haroon said he hoped the perpetrators would be brought to justice soon.

He said: “I’m scared now that they’re going to come back.”

All of the men involved were Asian, and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Sergeant Adrian McHugh, from Blackburn police, said: "This was a vicious and sustained assault and our investigation is continuing to establish the circumstances of exactly what happened and why.

“I'd reassure the public that we believe this was a targeted assault and that the victim was known to his attackers.

“We still need to hear from anybody that was in the vicinity of Oak Street at the time of this incident that thinks they may have seen anything that might be able to assist with our inquiry to come forward and call 101."

*A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of section 18 wounding with intent in relation to the attack. He has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.