A man who was smashed in the face with a hammer and stabbed with a knife by masked raiders today said: "If I hadn't fought back I would be dead".
Tony Houghton, 45, opened the front door of his home in Moira Crescent, Ribbleton, Preston, at 9.30pm on Wednesday after hearing a knock on the door.
He was confronted by three men dressed in black and wearing balaclavas.
One of them smashed him in the face with a wooden mallet before he was dragged into his front room where they continued the beating.
It was only when Mr Houghton managed to punch one of his attackers in the nose that the others hesitated before all three ran off.
Today Mr Houghton said: "They pushed me in and one of them hit me with a hammer.
"They stabbed me in the face with a knife, punched me, knocked me on the ground and kicked me.
>> Bike attack victim feared brain damage"If I hadn't fought back I would be dead.
"I thought if I'm going to die I'm going to put up a fight with them.
"I hit one of them and bust his nose, then the other two started staggering a bit."
Mr Houghton, who does not work because of health issues, believes the thugs were after money and valuables in his home.
All three of the attackers were white.
One was 6ft tall and the other two were around 5ft 5in to 5ft 6in tall.
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