WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGE

A mother has described how her whole family was set upon by a group brandishing meat cleavers, knives and bottles in what she called a massacre at a caravan park.

Several people were hospitalised after the attack at the Isle of Sheppey Holiday Village, in Leysdown, on Sunday morning.

Bernie Apps said last orders had just been called at the park's clubhouse when a gang of about 20 men stormed in and started causing trouble.

Her husband was knocked unconscious after being bottled, her son was attacked with a bottle several times and one of her daughters needs plastic surgery after being sliced with a meat cleaver.

"There wasn't an argument, they just attacked. It wasn't a brawl, it was a massacre..." - mother Bernie Apps

"There wasn't an argument, they just attacked," said Mrs Apps, who was ill at home in Charlton, south east London. "It wasn't a brawl, it was a massacre.

"I got that dreaded phone call about 1am – I could hear the hysterics and crying and I was stuck up here."

Police and paramedics were called to the park, in Warden Bay Road, at about 1am on Sunday.

Mrs Apps had stayed at home feeling unwell while her husband and four children spent the weekend at the site.

She said it was "every mother's worst nightmare" when she received a phone call in the middle of the night telling her what had happened.

During the assault, Mrs Apps' husband Tony was knocked unconscious after being bottled in the face and back of the head and his hand was injured.

Her 18-year-old daughter Hollie was slashed in the hand with a meat cleaver, her 19-year-old daughter Meggan was smashed in the face with her own phone, had her shoulder badly bruised after being hit with the blunt end of a meat cleaver and her foot was seriously injured.

And Mrs Apps' 23-year-old son Dale was bottled repeatedly in the head and suffered a swollen jaw after being punched and bottled in the face.

Her cousin Helen Symmons also had a meat cleaver slashed across her forehead.

They were all taken to Medway Maritime Hospital and transferred to St Thomas' Hospital in London.

They have all now been released, but Hollie was due to have plastic surgery on her hand today.

Mr and Mrs Apps' youngest son, Reece, witnessed the whole attack.

Irish dancing teacher Mrs Apps said: "My 14-year-old son watched his entire family being attacked by cowardly thugs."

The Apps have been visiting the Isle of Sheppey for more than 20 years and the 45-year-old says in all that time they have never experienced anything like this.

"My children have grown up there and there's never ever in 23 years been a problem. Leysdown is a family place no more.

"In a family club my whole family, my whole world, could have been wiped out in a night.

"Both my daughters reckon they will never step foot in Leysdown again."

Police said they were called to a disturbance at about 1am which was reported to involve up to 30 men.

DI Karl Thomas said: "This was a nasty incident at a peaceful holiday park.

"While we are treating this as an isolated incident, we believe other people inside the park may have information that could help us locate the offenders, so we ask anybody who could help to come forward."

A spokesman for the Isle of Sheppey Holiday Village declined to comment, but said the running of the clubhouse is leased out.

Witnesses are asked to call police on 101, quoting reference 09-0093, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. A 41-year-old and a 58-year-old, both from London, have been released on bail until August 30, pending further inquiries.