A CHRISTIAN family who fled the Lebanon have gone into hiding after being attacked in the North-East.

Albert and Sue Melky and their four children were subjected to daily abuse in their home country and, just five months after arriving in Newcastle, they are fleeing again after being persecuted as asylum seekers.

They say the abuse they have suffered in Walker is as bad as anything they suffered in their war-torn homeland.

They have been threatened with knives, beaten up and had insults of Taliban and bin Laden spat at them.

On several occasions, a mob has gathered outside their home as they cowered inside.

Now, they have been moved to a safe house by Newcastle City Council.

Mr Melky, 43, said: "We always heard how well the British treated their people and their proud record for human rights.

"We believed what we heard, but we have been shocked by what has happened here.

"We were persecuted in Lebanon for being Christians. Now, we are being persecuted in a Christian country for being from Lebanon."

Mr Melky and his eldest son, Tony, 18, had a knife pulled on them by youths outside their home.

Mrs Melky and the three younger children, Christian, 17, Paul, 12, and Perla, 11, have all been attacked.

Eggs have been thrown at the windows of the house. The family have also been threatened with bottles.

The police have been called to the Melkys' home every week since they arrived in the UK, last October.