Druken racists hounded a black couple and their two young children from their new home on the day they moved in.

The thugs hurled insults from the street outside the house in Brighton and shouted at the family to get out.

The mother, terrified for her family's safety, dialled 999 and police were sent to the scene.

A man and woman, in their 40s, were arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and an injunction has been granted to protect the victims.

A Brighton police spokeswoman said: "This was supposed to have been a happy day for the family.

"Instead, it turned horrible and traumatic.

"This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable and we acted quickly to ensure the family was protected.

"Incidents of this nature are extremely rare but we treat them very seriously."

In fact, community leaders said they had never before come across an incident of this severity. The incident happened just before midnight on Friday.

Brighton and Hove City Council moved quickly to find the family temporary accommodation and they are now top of the list for rehousing.

Police used their patrol cars to move the family's property back to the one-bedroom flat they had left.

The couple had been waiting 14 months for a new home.

They have now been offered the opportunity to return to the Whitehawk house but that is unlikely to happen.

John Mitchell, head of community safety for eb4U, the organisation regenerating east Brighton with Government money, described it as a "very, very nasty incident" committed by people who had been drinking.

Mr Mitchell stressed incidents of this nature were extremely rare and he had not come across anything so serious before "but should they happen then we will act".

eb4U and the Community Safety Team immediately sought injunctions to protect the family.

Mr Mitchell said the injunction, obtained in conjunction with Guinness Housing Trust, would protect the family should they need to return to the house for any reason.

Mr Mitchell said: "They are a really nice family with two small children. This shouldn't have happened."

Des Turner, MP for Brighton Kemptown, said: "This was totally unacceptable and nothing short of xenophobia.

"It was disgusting and has no place in a civilised society."