A family driven out of their new Bristol council home by a gang of thugs have been offered the chance to move to another property.

Sabrina Evans, 23, her partner Paul Derrick, 36, and their four young children abandoned their home in Southmead after being burgled, attacked with bricks and petrol bombed in the space of a week.

The family believe they were targeted simply because they had moved into the area from Lawrence Weston.

After spending three weeks living at Ms Evans' mother's home in Lockleaze, the family say they have now been told they will be rehoused in Lawrence Weston.

Mr Derrick said: "We've been told by the council that we have a three-bedroom house in Long Cross in Lawrence Weston and we are just waiting for the confirmation.

"It's good news because we've lived in that area for years and had no trouble - we weren't burgled or anything like that.

"It also means our son Archie can go back to school at Bankleaze Primary, which is where he was before we moved to Southmead.

"We haven't been back to the house in Southmead - it's been boarded up and all the children's toys have now been stolen from the back garden. We're still waiting to hear back from the police.

"It's been difficult living with Sabrina's mum and dad because there have been eight of us in one house and it's tough living on top of each other. The children have been crying in the night it's not been fair on Sabrina's dad because he has to get up at 5am."

The family had only been living in their three-bedroom property in Trowbridge Road, Southmead, for a month when it was burgled and their 42in television and Nintendo Wii games console were stolen on January 5.

A day later, the family were threatened by a gang of yobs who threw rocks towards the house, hitting Mr Derrick in the stomach and shattering the rear windscreen of their car.

The couple decided enough was enough and moved out for their own safety after members of the same gang then threatened to burn their house down.

A few days later, when Mr Derrick returned to the property to collect some of his children's clothes, he found the remains of what is thought to be a petrol bomb outside the front room window.

Ms Evans said they had been targeted by a gang of yobs who had called the family 'dirty L dubbers', referring to the fact they had moved into the area from Lawrence Weston.

Inspector Chris Regan, of Avon & Somerset police, said: "The investigation into the incidents reported at an address in Trowbridge Road continues and the residents are currently progressing arrangements for another property with Bristol City Council Housing Services.

"Police continue to work with partner agencies to ensure the family receive the appropriate support.

"Incidents of this nature are extremely rare in Bristol and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team are working extremely hard to tackle both criminal and anti-social behaviour affecting our communities with our partner agencies.

"Over the past month calls concerning anti-social behaviour have reduced dramatically as a result of increased patrols in the Southmead area targeting local offenders.

"This work will progress over the following months with further operations to disrupt activity and bring offenders to justice."