Burglars sprayed Cillit Bang into a kid’s eyes as they threatened a terrified family with kidnapping.
During a brutal raid on a family’s home, a gang of thugs beat two of the youngsters as they demanded they hand over cash and gold.
If they didn’t, the vicious criminals threatened to “take the youngest child” during the attack in Alum Rock, Birmingham.
CCTV caught the attackers scoping out other homes in the area on the night of Thursday, 6 April, when the crime took place.
A ten-year-old boy was at home with his older sister, 21, and brother, 17, when the intruders broke in around 11pm.
After rummaging through the downstairs of the house, they found a bottle of Cillit Bang they sprayed into the two older children’s eyes, a relative said.
They also punched her in the jaw, briefly knocking her out, and placed her in a headlock, according to a 25-year-old relative who would not be named.
They told BirminghamLive: "It's awful. You don't think it's going to happen to you, and the fact it's the kids at home is even more traumatic.
"The mum is so scared, you can imagine how traumatic this is, and the fact they hurt her kids as well - it's disgusting."
The intruders also used the mum's handbag - which they later stole - to strike the children.
All three children were in separate bedrooms when the violent trio, both hooded and masked, used a crowbar to force entry through the front door.
Each of the attackers then burst into the rooms "at the same time", the relative explained.
They said: "One of them grabbed the 21-year-old by the arms, he put her in a headlock, he then covered her mouth with his hands - he had gloves on.
"She told me she was really scared so she clung onto her door, just to 'try and get him off me'. He had more power so he grabbed her and shoved her into the other boy's room.
"She said, at that time she screamed for her little brother, who was in the other room. He then came over and the men were hitting them.
"They hit them on the head, they used Cillit Bang - the cleaning product - they sprayed the kids with it into their eyes."
The girl suffered most, with her eyes still said to be 'sore and red' after a hospital visit for eye drops.
Detailing the vicious assault, they added: "They banged her head against the wall, they punched her in the jaw as well and she blacked out for a couple of seconds. They were hitting the girl, he then sprayed the older boy.
"He was very brave, he was swearing at them, saying: 'Leave my sister alone, don't touch her.' He tried to hit them for them to let go of her."
They then "threw him to the floor" and began kicking him, she said. "They kicked him in his hips and his ribs; it was very traumatic. They were threatening: 'If you don't give us anything, we're going to take the younger boy."
Throughout the attack, they rummaged all the rooms asking for gold and money, she said. The men, who spoke with a Eastern European accent, fled with a handbag, but didn't touch other items.
Following the attack, the family struggled to sleep as they dealt with the physical and mental trauma.
The daughter was "physically sick because of the trauma", the teenage son suffered bruises and grazes to his body while the youngest, though uninjured, was still "scared and shaken" from the ordeal, the relative said.
West Midlands Police said officers are "carrying out enquiries to try to identify who was involved" as the force urged anyone with information to come forward.
"We're investigating a burglary in Alum Rock at around 11pm on Thursday, 6 April," said a spokesman. "Intruders forced their way into a property and a 21-year-old woman and 17-year-old boy were assaulted as a bag was stolen.
"We're carrying out enquiries to try and identify who was involved. Anyone with information can contact us via Live Chat on our website and quote 20/325184/23."
