VIDEO: Police and family appeal for information on Tommy Ward attack

The grandfather was seriously assaulted at his home in Salisbury Road, Maltby, and his £30,000 savings were stolen.

He was found at 6.45am on October 1 by a carer who had tended to him at 7pm the previous evening.

Det Insp Richard Partridge said: “We are keen to put this back to the forefront of people’s minds.

“There is a 12 hour period we can’t account for Tommy.”

Tommy has suffered a serious neurological injury and is unable to communicate to police.

Appeal posters are being distributed across Maltby and Rotherham.

Det Insp Partridge said Tommy was deliberately targeted and the motive behind it was the significant amount of money he had at his home.

“It was unnecessary, they didn’t need to subject that amount of violence against an 80-year-old man.”

Det Insp Partridge said it was not yet known if weapons were used during the attack, but there was no forced entry.

“Please come forward, people who commit offences of this nature do not deserve the protection of anybody.”

Two 19-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and burglary and remain on police bail.

“Just because two people have been arrested, I don’t want people to think the investigation has finished, it’s very much ongoing.”

Det Insp Partridge urged people to think about anyone who has come into money lately, had blood stained clothes, were acting strange or asking a lot of questions.

He added people will have talked about it in local businesses and pubs.

“Any names that have cropped up, no matter how insignificant, please come forward and tell us.

“I firmly believe the answer to what happened to Mr Ward lies in the local community and I know there will be people in Maltby with suspicions around who is responsible.”

Tommy's daughter Jackie Perry described the attackers who pounced on her nine stone father as heartless and said her dad was a caring man

She said: “Whoever knows who has done this they have got to come forward and let us know who has done it because they are animals.

“They have walked away and shut that door knowing how seriously ill my dad was, they have left him for dead for the sake of money.”

His granddaughter Jay Perry said the family want justice for Tommy before it was “too late” and were taking each day as it comes.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, quoting incident number 408 of October 1.