A courageous teenage boy fought off a knife-wielding gang who were trying to storm their way into his home.

Hiltred Sanctis, 17, managed to stop three men, one of whom was brandishing a six-inch kitchen knife, from getting into his house.

His mother, Theresa Sanctis, has now praised her son’s bravery.

Mrs Sanctis and her three children were in their house, in Birkenshaw Lane, Birkenshaw.

A man called, asking for someone called Andrew Smith, but left after being told no-one by that name lived there.

Mrs Sanctis said that about ten minutes later, when she was upstairs with her eight-year-old daughter, there was another knock on the door.

She said Hiltred, who had been in the living room with his brother, Heston, 15, opened the door.

At the door were three men, she said, one with a six-inch knife in his hand.

They tried to get into the house and a struggle ensued.

Mrs Sanctis said her son was punched in the face and the knife had cut him slightly on his nose.

She said she could hear the commotion from upstairs, but at first thought nothing of it, thinking her sons were playing.

But when she realised something was wrong, she ran down the stairs and saw Hiltred struggling to shut the door on the raiders.

She said: “They were struggling so strong and I started helping my son push the door.

“I started shouting, ‘Don’t trouble us’. I started screaming and crying.”

Mrs Sanctis, a nurse, said after the raiders fled, her son spent the night vomiting because he was concussed.

She said her family had been left traumatised, but she was full of praise for her son for keeping the raiders at bay.

She said: “People keep telling him he’s done a very good job – how brave he is.”

Police are now appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

The first suspect was white, slim and 5ft 7ins tall with short blond hair and blue eyes. He was aged 18 to 19 and spoke with a local accent. He was wearing a black waterproof jacket with black tracksuit bottoms.

The suspect with the knife was white, 5ft 7ins tall, with blue eyes. He spoke with a local accent and wore black gloves, a black waterproof jacket, black tracksuit bottoms and trainers. The knife had a black handle and a six-inch blade.

Two further suspects were wearing black balaclavas and black clothing.

Anyone with information about the incident, which happened just before 9pm on October 30, can ring police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.