Football team ‘devastated’ after 15-year-old player and father attacked by masked men at home

The 15-year-old has been described as "full of life, personality and determination"

A football team said it is "devastated" after one of its players and his father were assaulted in their home in what police have referred to as a “completely unprovoked” attack.

Imrane Chelirem and his father Mohamed, who is in his 50s, were left in a life-threatening condition after an incident in the early hours of Thursday on Station Road in Thurnby, Leicestershire.

Officers were called to a house following a report that two masked men had entered and attacked the occupants, Leicestershire Police said.

The boy’s mother and the man’s wife, a woman in her 40s, suffered minor injuries to her hand and shoulder during the incident and has since been discharged from hospital.

Three other children who were in the house were not injured, police said.

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View this post on Instagram Coalville Town Raptors said in an Instagram post that Imrane’s “whole football family is right behind” him.

It said: “Our football family has been left devastated following a horrific incident that has left our beloved player Imrane and his father fighting for their lives.

“Imrane is so much more than our number 15. He’s a teammate, a friend and a huge part of our football family.

“At a time when words simply aren’t enough, we want to come together and do everything we can to support Imrane and his family through these unimaginable circumstances.”

The club said it set up a fundraising page for the teenager’s family with the “blessing” of his immediate relatives.

The GoFundMe page said Imrane is a “young man full of life, personality and determination, who has built friendships and memories with his teammates that go far beyond football”.

Several residents living near the scene said on Friday they were too scared to speak to the media about what had happened, but they described feeling unsafe.

A man, who did not wish to be named, said he woke up in the middle of the night to see police and ambulance lights flashing and said the family are “nice people” and “good neighbours”.

Detective Inspector Lorna Granville, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said in a statement last week: “This was a violent attack against a family in their own home which appears to have been completely unprovoked.

“Our investigation to understand what happened and why – and identify those behind such a horrific criminal act – is going to continue over the weekend.”

She said police are asking anyone with information to come forward to the force.

In an update on Wednesday, police said both victims who suffered life-threatening injuries are in stable condition.

The statement added that there is nothing to suggest that the incident was racially or religiously motivated.

DI Granville said: “Our searches in the surrounding area are now complete and we are continuing to carry out further inquiries to locate those responsible.

“While I can’t go into specific details, I’d like to reassure residents that the investigation is progressing significantly and specially trained officers are continuing to support the family involved.

“At this stage in the investigation, we have no information to suggest there is a wider risk to the public.”