A TERRIFIED teenager had a gun held to his head and acid sprayed in his eye when a gang of masked men burst into his home.

The victim also had a knife pushed against his throat during the brutal incident which has left him in hospital with serious eye injuries.

Now police have urgently appealed for help in tracing the “large group of men” who were wearing balaclavas when they struck at a flat in Palmerston Road, Boscombe.

The aggravated burglary took place at around 5pm on Saturday October 18 and the offenders are all said to speak with London accents.

The victim, believed to live with his mother in a first floor flat, said one of the attackers is white, around six feet tall, of thin build and wearing a grey beanie hat and scarf or balaclava. He had a pronounced bridge area on his nose and was wearing a dark blue waterproof coat. He was unable to describe the remainder of the offenders.

Detective Sergeant Paul Auger, of Bournemouth CID, said: “This was a very distressing incident for the victim having suffered a serious eye injury.

“I would urge anyone who saw suspicious activity along Palmerston Road between 4.50pm and 5.30pm on Saturday October 18 to come forward.

“Anyone with information about the men responsible should contact police in confidence.”

It is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Boscombe. A woman was found lying in Walpole Road with stab wounds last month and a man was stabbed in the 99p shop in the Sovereign Centre earlier this year.

Local councillor Chris Wakefield urged the community to help the police and said: “I hope everyone is giving the police as much information and intelligence as they possibly can to enable them to bring the culprits to justice.”

He added: “This is an isolated incident and the public should not be alarmed unless they are involved in criminal activity.

“I hope the victim is on the mend and receiving the best possible care.”

Witnesses and anyone with information about the latest incident should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101, quoting incident number 18:381 or call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply.