THE VICTIMS of a savage and disturbing mob attack in Thailand have been named as an elderly couple from Wenvoe and their son.

The gang attack, which happened during Thai New Year celebrations earlier this month, left Lewis Owen, 68, his wife Rose, 65, and son Lewis, 43, lying unconscious in the street in Hua Hin.

CCTV footage shows the brutal and terrifying moment the family were set upon by a number of men, punched to the ground and kicked in the heads. All three required hospital treatment following the assault.

A spokesman for the Tourism Authority of Thailand have said that Royal Thai Police arrested six people and charged them with grievous assault on Sunday, April 17, three days after the attack.

Thai press sources have reported that the family have all now left hospital and are expected to return to the UK in the coming weeks.

It was reported that electrical engineering company boss Lewis Owen and his wife, retired hairdresser Rose, holiday in Thailand yearly and that their son had flown out from Singapore to meet them earlier this month.

Their daughter Ceri Venables, 38, from Barry was today being kept in touch as they battled with their injuries in Thailand.

Mother-of-two Ceri at her family home in Barry, South Wales and said: "My parents are in hospital abroad. It is very upsetting. But I really don't want to talk about it right now, sorry."

Neighbours and friends in Wenvoe spoke of their shock at the brutal attack on the family.

Neighbour David Cannan, 72, said: "This is a terrible shock I know how much they love the Thai people and this would be the last thing they would have expected to happen.

"I went with them a few years ago and it was fantastic. They go there for a month every year and this year their son decided to fly down from Singapore to join them.

"I can't think what went wrong because this is a really nice place, not somewhere like Phuket or Bangkok where things can go wrong.

"I only hope they will be ok and will come back to us soon.

"They have two grandsons with their daughter Ceri. Everyone is very worried about them."

A barmaid at the village pub, the Wenvoe Arms, said: "Lewis and Rose are regulars in here and both really nice people. They live nearby.

"To hear what has happened to them is shocking, not everyone in the village knows but people are talking about it.

"Their son lives over in Singapore but comes back for Christmas every year and they are always in here with him then."

A spokesman for Mr Owen senior's company Glamorgan Electrical Repairs, based in Splott, Cardiff, said: "We're very worried but we don't know what's going on.

"Lew is still involved and is always hands on with us here. All we know is he went off on holiday and things went badly wrong for him.

"He's a lovely bloke and we're trying to find out more about it. The phone has been red hot with people asking about him."

A spokesman for the Thai Tourism Authority said: "The Tourism Authority of Thailand would like to express our deepest sorrow to the family who were subjected to the assault in Hua Hin during the Songkran celebrations. We hope that you recover from your injuries and make a swift and full recovery."