LONDON, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - Six Sri Lankans and an Indian national were jailed for between three and 12 years each Friday for a violent rampage in London in which they tried to behead a man with Samurai swords, police said.

The seven -- aged between 20 and 32 -- were convicted last month at London's Central Criminal Court of the attack on a 20-year-old man in the north of the capital as he travelled to play cricket with five friends.

The seven used pieces of wood, pickaxe handles and swords to set upon the six, who tried to defend themselves with cricket bats and stumps. The victim had his arm partially severed in the attack, which was broken up by police.

Police in Newham, east London, said the attack was premeditated but since the gang's arrest in August last year, anti-social behaviour in the borough had fallen by 50 percent and criminal damage by 80 percent.

The Tamil business community in the area have also thanked police for removing the gang from the community and lifting a climate of fear, the force added.

'The defendants thought they were above the law, their conviction and lengthy sentence for this pre-planned and brutal attack proves they were not,' said Superintendent Derrick Griffiths, from the Metropolitan Police.

'The fact that they been removed from the Tamil community and cannot continue to taint and intimidate the law-abiding majority can only be good for the community as a whole.'

Four of the men -- Kirubananathrada Gunaratnam, 32; Senthurrajh Thavapalasingham, 21 (also known as 'Psycho' according to the police); Sabesan Sivaneswaran, 20; and 24-year-old Aramugan Paratheeban -- were found guilty of attempted murder and violent disorder.