A Hounslow man suffered a fractured skull after he was allegedly beaten with a metal baseball bat by a group of youths outside his wife's Whitton Home.

Luke Herdman, 39, says he stepped out of his wife's Collingwood Close property at 7pm last Friday, when he was confronted by a group who earlier provoked the family through their front window.

Pulling out bottles and a baseball bat, they allegedly violently assaulted Mr Herdman, beating him over the back of the head. After escaping, he was rushed to hospital, where he was treated for a fractured skull.

David O’Shea, 21, of Epsom Close, Camberley, and Luke Meaden, 21, Hedley Road, Twickenham were arrested on Sunday June 2 and charged with grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.

A 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of GBH on Monday. He has since been bailed to return to on a later date in June.

"My body just went numb and I dropped to my knees," the self-employed carpenter, who lives separately from his wife in Hounslow, said.

"They continued to batter me with a d-lock and baseball bat until I somehow managed to get up and run away.

"You could have filled up a bucket with the blood. If I hadn't escaped my family would be arranging my funeral."

Six months ago, his wife Tatiana Herdman, 41, from Brazil, and her daughter Livia, 18, told the Richmond and Twickenham times they were "living in fear" due to attacks on their Housing Partnership property.

In February, CCTV footage captured a masked moped driver parking outside, then throwing a brick through their front window.

Your Local Guardian:

Screen grab from CCTV of the February brick attack, Tatiana and Livia (bottom left)

Mrs Herdman said a number of drug dealers living in the area were targetting her house, dumping needles and rubbish into the garden.

Her husband says that Richmond Housing Partnership are yet to offer the family suitable alternative accommodation, despite their requests to be relocated.

A spokesperson for Richmond Housing Partnership said: "The safety of our customers is, and always will be, our highest priority.

"In this case we are continuing to work with the family and the police, as we have been doing, to help reach a permanent solution.

"Out of respect for the customers’ privacy this is all we’re able to say at this time.”

Priority rehousing status will usually be awarded where there is a serious and credible risk to the applicant’s safety in their current accommodation.

Since Mr Herdman does not live at the property, this criteria would be applied to Mrs Herdman and her daughter, rather than himself.

A spokesperson for the Met said: "Anyone who witnessed the incident should call 101 quoting reference 7216/31MAY."

UPDATE JULY 5: A Met Police spokesman has since confirmed the CPS has discontinued its case against Mr O'Shea and Mr Meaden.