TOM Turner was tipped out of his wheelchair and left unconscious by attackers.

The incident happened after Tom had visited the Botanical Gardens Club on Tyldesley Road, Atherton. And this week, in a letter to The Journal, his wife, Lillian asks: "Why - how could anyone do that?"

She added: "I don't pretend to know the answers. I can only say that we have been overwhelmed by the kindness and support that we have received from so many people and we would both like to thank our wonderful family and friends who have helped us through this. Also the paramedics and staff at Bolton General Hospital, the Police and friends at the Botanical Gardens Club.

"My husband is a caring man with a friendly, positive attitude to life and will not be beaten by this.

"The people who carried out this brutal, cowardly attack must be desperate for money and we can only hope that some shred of decency of conscience will stop them targetting some other innocent victim."

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