THUGS threatened to stab a woman in the eye while she was cradling her sevenweek- old baby during a terrifying robbery.

Her boyfriend, 25, needed hospital treatment after he was repeatedly beaten by a masked man who demanded he hand over an unknown package and cash.

The terrified couple believe they were the victims of mistaken identity after the incident at their home in Goldings Crescent, Basildon, on Saturday evening.

They are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

The couple, who are too scared to be named, were watching TV in their groundfloor flat at about 7pm when there was a knock at the door.

The male victim got up to answer the door, but as he undid the latch, it was forced open by two men.

One man, whose face was covered by a scarf, began beating him while another man, whose face was not covered, threatened him with a knife.

The victim said: “They started punching and kicking me and put a knife to my throat. They were screaming and swearing at me, asking for a parcel.

“I tried to tell them I didn’t know what they were talking about. I just said to them: ‘Please don’t hurt my missus or my baby’.”

The knifeman then went into the living room where he threatened the mum as she cradled her newborn baby.

The woman, 33, said: “I was sat on the sofa and he put the knife to my eye and said ‘give me what I want’.

“I said, ‘we have not got anything,’ but he said ‘why are you lying?’”

They took the man’s Blackberry mobile phone and his girlfriend’s Samsung Galaxy.

She said: “At first, he took my old mobile phone which has pictures of my daughter when she was first born.

“I asked him to give it back, but he threw it on the sofa next to me.

“The one with his face covered, who seemed to be the ringleader, said to him: ‘Don’t harm the missus or the baby, that’s not what we are here for.’”

The raiders searched the couple’s kitchen cupboards, but left behind their games consoles.

They took £105 cash – their benefits money for the fortnight.

The man added: “We think this is drugs related and that this was a case of mistaken identity.

“They kept asking us for a package, but we have no idea what that means.

“Is it a package of drugs?

We just don’t understand. We are not involved in anything like that.”

The first suspect was aged between 20 and 25 and was wearing a black balaclava, black trainers and black clothing.

The second was aged between 35 and 40 and was wearing a black jacket, grey T-shirt and jeans.

Anybody with any information is asked to contact Det Con Stephen Cross at Basildon CID on 101 or call Crimestoppers,