A police officer is being investigated after three brothers reported they were beaten in Paceville by two men, both in civilian clothes, sources said.

One of the brothers is still in hospital suffering from injuries he sustained when he was kicked and punched all over his body, including his head, according to one of the brothers, Omar Debono.

“We didn’t even have a chance to fight back because it was so unexpected they overwhelmed us,” Mr Debono, 21, said, pointing to three broken teeth.

When contacted, the police would only say the case was being investigated and “therefore it is not prudent to comment further at this stage”. But timesofmalta.com last night quoted “police sources” denying the version of events as given by the brothers and saying it was the brothers who started the fight when they were apprehended for destroying plants in the area.

The elder of the three, Matthew, 28, is in hospital with stitches on his left eye, a haematoma behind his left ear and bruising all over the body, Mr Debono said.

His youngest brother Alek, 18, got off lightly when one of the two men hit him in the face to forcibly take his mobile phone which he was using to film the assault, he added.

The footage, seen by The Times, is not very clear but Alek can be heard saying in an agitated tone: “Let my brother go or I’ll report you to the police.” It was later, at the police station, that they were told one of the men was a police inspector.

Mr Debono explained that he and his brothers, who work together in a family business, went to a Christmas staff party at the Coastline Hotel at Qawra, on Wednesday night.

They were walking to their car, parked in Swieqi, and when they were close to the Eden cinemas Matthew spat on the ground. One of two men walking alongside asked him why he had done so.

“My brother literally smiled and the man punched him in the face ... In a matter of seconds the other man hit me on the back of the head and I ended up on the ground, face down ... and broke three teeth,” he said.

Meanwhile, Alek started filming the scene with his phone. One of the men (he was not sure which of the two) hit him and took his mobile phone, which ended up in the hands of the other man.

“They threw my brother, Matthew, to the ground and started punching and kicking him. I saw them with my own eyes ... By the time I stood up I saw one of them coming in my direction again,” Mr Debono said.

Six police officers, including a sergeant, then arrived and intervened. The sergeant asked for everyone’s particulars but the inspector refused to cooperate and did not want to hand over the phone either.

The sergeant, who addressed him as “Sir”, told him he would have to arrest him if he refused to give him the phone. The inspector hurled insults at him and also pushed him before handing over the phone, Mr Debono said.

He said he did not see the police arrest the two attackers.

The brothers were taken to the St Julians police station from where they were escorted to hospital. They only filed a formal police report yesterday after being advised to do so by their lawyer.

Mr Debono said the police cooperated with them and they did not get the impression they were trying to cover up for the attacker.

The brothers’ lawyer, José Herrera, who is the shadow minister for justice, called on the Justice Minister to assume responsibility and order a public inquiry.

A ministry spokesman said such matters were always investigated and action taken when necessary.