Niomi Nelson's three-year-old daughter, Courtney, was asleep upstairs as the three men attempted to storm the house in Abbey Street, Rugby.

But when the 21-year-old tried to escape out of the front window, one of the attackers punched her to the ground.

Her boyfriend Leon Hinton managed to delay the attack by barricading the front door with his body as they tried to kick it down at about 1.30am on Sunday.

But when he went out to the back yard to get a metal pole, he returned to find his girlfriend unconscious outside the house.

Niomi told the Advertiser: "These people are animals.

"The marks on my legs show that they carried on kicking me while I was on the floor."

Leon added: "I was barricading the door while I was on the phone to the police. Then a brick came through the window.

"They thought they could just come in here and rob us, but we will not let them get away with it."

After the attackers fled, Niomi had seizures and even stopped breathing at one point, before she was taken to hospital.

Her mother, Janis Warriner, said: "She could have died.

"Straight after the attack her face was completely swollen up.

"Now her own daughter won't even go to her for love and hugs because she looks so scary to her."

Police confirmed that a 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the serious assault.

Anyone with any information can call Rugby Police on (01788) 541111, or call Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555111.