A hooded teenage gang repeatedly stabbed a man on his doorstep and slashed another across the face with a knife during two attempted robberies on an Oxford estate.

The gang of three boys and a girl, three of whom were seen with knives, launched their first attack on a 29-year-old man who had just got off a bus in Field Avenue, Blackbird Leys, on Tuesday at about 11.30pm.

He was approached by the gang who asked for a cigarette. The girl then pulled out a knife demanding money and he was chased along the road, suffering a cut from his ear to the chin, but did not need hospital treatment.

Shortly before midnight the same gang approached a 31-year-old father-of-one sitting smoking a cigarette on his doorstep, in Overbrooke Gardens, and again asked for a cigarette.

The girl held a knife to his throat demanding money while a teenage boy pulled out a second blade and asked for valuable items from his house. In a struggle he suffered numerous stab wounds but managed to punch the girl before shutting the front door

He needed 16 stitches after suffering numerous stab wounds to the neck, forearm and thigh.

He said he was frightened to give his name for fear of reprisals but told the Oxford Mail: "The girl came up and asked for a cigarette but claimed to be a bit drunk so I said she'd better go and sleep it off, the next thing I know they had a knife out.

"I feared for my life and I was scared for my young family in the house.

"These people are scum, with no respect for anyone or anything.

"I've always felt safe here, I've heard stories but this has left me feeling shocked and angry. I would like to appeal to anyone in this area who saw them or who even knows them to contact police.

"The degree of violence levelled at me was unbelievable and I was told at the hospital that this could have been much more serious. These people just didn't think of how dangerous it was."

Police searched the area with dog handlers and a helicopter but failed to find the gang. DS Vince Gilio, of the Oxford violent crime team, said: "Anyone who is willing to use a knife in such a way was paying no thought to the strong possibility of much more serious -- even fatal -- consequences."

Police believe witnesses might have seen the group loitering on the estate and approaching other people earlier in the night.

The girl is described as white with light coloured, straggly hair, between 5ft 3in and 5ft 7in tall, of slim build and wearing a hooded coat.

Two of the boys are described as black, around 5ft 6in tall wearing hooded tops, and the third boy is described as white, wearing a hood and with ginger hair.