A MASKED gang who left a teenager brain damaged in a violent revenge attack for helping police have been jailed for a total of almost 20 years.

‘The Calder Street Boys’ Sohail Ilyas, 19, Amar Babar, 30, Qasim Niaz, 19, Ehsan Nazir, 19, and Hamayun Nawaz, 24, lured 19-year-old Mikhail Dinsi to a quiet Blackburn cul-de-sac in September 2010 and attacked him with sticks, bats, bricks, fists, feet and a knife.

Yesterday they were jailed for what police called ‘pure retribution’ after Mr Dinsi, now 20, supported an earlier investigation into a fight in Roosters takeaway, Johnston Street, in which his friend’s ear was bitten off.

The rival groups had a ‘simmering hatred’ between them when Mr Dinsi drove to Logwood Road. It was a trap and he was set on by 20 men. He was left fighting for his life and spent eight days in hospital with a hole in his skull and a jaw broken in three places. The prolonged and ‘brutal’ beating only stopped when a screaming woman intervened. Dinsi, now 20, was able to grab Babar’s balaclava, revealing his face, recognised Ilyas and spotted Nawaz because of his bright green eyes - Nawaz was known for wearing green contacts.

The investigation was originally treated as attempted murder and he still suffers long term post traumatic episodes. Police said he only survived because of the skill of medical staff.

Ilyas, of London Road, and Babar, of no fixed address were given five years five months and eight years respectively for conspiracy to inflict GBH and violent disorder. Babar was given an extra three months for his involvement in the July 2010 takeaway incident. Niaz, of Oak Street and Nazir, of Whalley Street, were jailed for nine months each for violent disorder. Nawaz, of Oozehead Lane, was jailed for three years for violent disorder and taking revenge.

All five men were given indefinite restraining orders to prevent any contact with or approach to Mr Dinsi.

Alongside Babar, three other men – Nasar Khan, Tariq Khan, and Latif Malik were jailed in October and given restraining orders for the original Roosters assault on Ali Shah.

Police have said they will closely monitor the tension between the groups. DCI Mark Gray said: “This was a brutal attack on a young man by a large number of people who were wielding weapons. The victim sustained extremely serious injuries that he has been extremely lucky to survive.

“I would like the sentences to serve as warning to anyone who thinks serious violent crime is acceptable.

“I would like to reassure the people of Blackburn that incidents of this nature are very rare and often stem from on going feuds between known groups and normal law-abiding citizens are not targets for this kind of criminality.”