A DISABLED father who was beaten with his own crutch by at least eight youths when he tried to stop an attack on his son is fighting for his life in hospital.

While 57-year-old Ronald Ebbs, known as 'Smokey', was out shopping, a masked gang of eight to ten teenagers broke down the door of his house in Mark Wade Close, Wanstead, and threw his 23-year-old son Aric to the floor.

Aric managed to struggle free and run through the front door just as Mr Ebbs returned.

When he saw what was happening he made a desperate attempt to intervene, but the father-of-seven, who suffers from severe arthritis and osteoporosis, was knocked to the ground and hit repeatedly on the head with his metal crutch as Aric ran for help.

Neighbours bolted their doors and the gang continued to rain blows on Mr Ebbs until one woman let Aric in and shouted at the gang to stop.

She said: "It was scary. An horrific, horrific attack."

Getaway cars waiting around the corner in Westmorland Close picked up the youths and sped away before police arrived, shortly after 9pm on Friday, February 22.

Mr Ebbs was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and received brain surgery at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery on Sunday, where he remains in critical condition.

Although he has lost his memory and ability to speak, it is not yet certain whether he is permanently brain damaged.

The attack is the latest in a series of vicious assaults by young people on adults who have intervened to prevent violent or anti-social behaviour.

In January, father-of-two Ron Sharples was battered to death in Cleveland by vodka-fuelled teenagers after he had asked them to quieten down.

And less than a month later three youths were convicted of kicking to death father-of-three Garry Newlove outside his home in Cheshire after he told them to stop vandalising his wife's car.

Although some items were stolen from the house Aric, who works part-time at Lee's garden centre, in Barkingside, said he did not believe burglary was the motive.

He said: "They obviously didn't come here for the goods. They came for another reason, but no-one knows what.

"I don't really go out around here and I keep to myself, I work and I help my family out, so I really don't know who it was."

His brother, Orin Ebbs, 25, said: "I just can't understand how they could do that to him while he was lying there, defenceless. They just carried on hitting him, saying Come on, who wants some more?'.

"These sort of people need to be put away forever, with not just a life sentence, a triple life sentence.

"They need to be stopped because they will do it again, and we need the community to support each other, together."

Police sealed off the house for forensic investigations until Tuesday evening and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Detective Inspector Rob Pack said: "We are urging anyone who lives in or around that area to come and speak to us. I can reassure them that we have a whole raft of legislation to protect them, and we will take every step we can."

l Anyone with information should call Redbridge Police on 8345 2733 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.