A COUPLE were today in hospital with serious injuries after a gang burst into their home and stabbed them.

Four or five men forced their way into the semi-detached house in Shirley, Southampton, before attacking the man and woman with knives.

Both the occupants of the house were stabbed in the legs before the group fled the house.

The couple, who are believed to be in their 40s, were taken to Southampton General Hospital but their condition was not thought to be life-threatening.

Police are now appealing for help in finding the gang who struck at about 2pm yesterday in Randolph Street, near Shirley High Street.

There were no witnesses to the attack but police believe that the gang may have escaped in a silver Land Rover or a white Transit-style van.

A police spokesman said: "They opened the door to four or five black males who proceeded to enter the premises where a skirmish took place. Two people within the premises sustained leg injuries. There's no suggestion that they knew who they were.

"It was quite serious and there was quite a lot of blood from the woman who also suffered a head injury."

Neighbours of the couple were shocked after hearing what had happened in the normally quiet residential street.

One neighbour said: "They have only been there a few months but I didn't know them. It's normally quiet here but you get this everywhere now."

Another resident added: "It's terrible. This kind of thing doesn't happen around here.

"If it's domestic it's a different thing but if people have broken in to their house that is terrible and quite frightening."

Anyone with information should call Shirley CID on 0845 045 4545.