A FATHER-OF-TWO who asked teenage yobs outside his home to be quiet was beaten unconscious.

Craig Stone has told how was punched and kicked while on the ground after remonstrating with eight youths who were smashing bottles outside his home.

And one horrified neighbour thought Mr Stone was dead when they saw him lying motionless on the floor.

The youths who carried out the attack are understood to have been at a party near his house in Sandbed Lane, Belper.

Mr Stone, an operations manager for Car Cosmestics in Dunton Close, Derby, went to investigate after hearing rowdiness at 1.45am in the morning.

The 38-year-old, who runs a neighbourhood watch group, said: "We were in bed and could hear the music, then bottles breaking so I thought I would just go out and ask them to calm down.

"There was about eight of them. I 'said come on lads, you have had your fun, it's time to move on.' One of them asked who I was and I just said I was someone who wanted to get a bit of sleep."

After confronting the gang, Mr Stone said he was approached from behind and hit with a bottle. He was then kicked unconscious.

He said: "The next thing I remember was waking up in an ambulance, wondering what was going on.

"You don't expect something like that to happen – especially on your own doorstep. I remember approaching the group of lads expecting to have just a quick chat with them – I never expected it to turn into what it did."

Neighbour Jill Belbie witnessed the attack and said: "I was woken at about 2am by the sound of people shouting and when I looked out of the window I saw a group of lads standing outside holding bottles and drinking.

"They decided to walk across the road and as they did I saw someone walk across towards them.

"There was a scuffle and the man dropped to the floor in a heap and I called the police and ambulance.

"I was absolutely terrified."

Police arrested four people on suspicion of carrying the attack, which happened on Friday, May 30 but they have since been released without charge.

Mr Stone said: "When I heard that the police were not charging these people, I was absolutely disgusted. Where is the justice in that?"

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire police said a two 17-year-olds, from Derby and Mickleover, an 18-year-old from Chellaston and a 19-year-old from Littleover were arrested in connection with the incident.

She said: "The evidence was put before the Crown Prosecution Service and their advice was that there was insufficient evidence to identify the perpetrators involved."

Mr Stone spoke about his ordeal to the Derby Telegraph after seeing a story on Friday about a man who was attacked outside his home in Hollington, near Brailsford.

The 43-year-old suffered cuts and bruises when he was punched after challenging a group of rowdy youths.