A man was attacked by a gang wearing “Scream” masks on the doorstep of his home in Bury.

The robbers tried to strangle the 50-year-old victim with a cable after dragging him to the ground.

He was getting out of his car outside his house in Greenway Close at about 8.40pm on Friday, November 30, when the gang of five masked men pounced.

Four offenders grabbed, punched and kicked him repeatedly as they demanded property.

A fifth man was acting as a lookout.

They pulled off the man’s Rolex watch, but fled when they suspected the alarm may have been raised by neighbours.

The man was taken to hospital, where he remained for several days while observations were carried out on his damaged spleen.

All the men were described as 5ft 9in tall, slim and dressed in dark clothing.

Detective Constable Dave Thorpe said: “This was a vicious attack on a man returning home to his family.

“The watch that was stolen holds sentimental value to the victim, but more importantly, this has had a huge impact on him physically and mentally.

“The relentless violence used and the resulting injuries mean that it is important the culprits are caught as soon as possible.

“We have launched a number of inquiries since this attack, and we are eager to speak to anyone who has information that could help us.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 856 8248 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.