Police appeal to taxi drivers after street attack on granddad (81)

The victim was in stable condition in hospital today after suffering  serious head injuries in the incident near Rotherham fire station on Fitzwilliam Road in Eastwood yesterday morning.

Police now believe the attack took place between 3am and 4am.

Det Sgt John Yoxall, from South Yorkshire Police's Crime Unit, said: “The assault on this elderly and vulnerable man was brutal, with the victim suffering life threatening head and facial injuries.

“Despite the severity of the attack, the victim has begun to show a slight improvement in hospital where his condition this morning is described as critical but stable.

“The main focus of our work is to identify anyone who may have been in the area around the time of the assault.

“We now believe the victim was attacked between 3am and 4am and was then unconscious for a period of time before he was found by police officers at 5.25am.

“In the early hours of Monday morning the area around Fitzwilliam Road and Mushroom Roundabout, where we believe the assault has taken place, would have been very quiet and I believe anyone in that area would have been quite conspicuous.

“I am looking for anyone, particularly taxi drivers and shift workers, that may have been driving past in the early hours of the morning and seen anything to contact police and speak to me.

“There's little doubt that if the victim had not been found by officers this could have been a murder enquiry.

“I can assure the local community, who I know are understandably concerned by the incident, that all the necessary resources are being put into finding those responsible for this vicious assault.

“Patrols by neighbourhood officers have been increased in the area to reassure local residents.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police via on 101 quoting incident number 147 of August 10.