Suspect arrested following a brutal attack on Oldham pensioner

A 46-year-old man has been arrested in Oldham on suspicion of assault against a pensioner. The alleged attack took place on 2 July after Derek Laidlaw, 70, was punched in the face after he asked a man to stop urinating against the side of his partner's house.

Laidlaw says he was pinned against the wall and punched repeatedly about the face and head at about 10.45pm after confronting the man. The attack continued even after he fell to the ground outside the property in Failsworth, Oldham, and it was only stopped after a passer-by managed to pull the assailant away, after which he ran off.

Greater Manchester police are currently questioning the subject in custody. They had previously released an image of severely bruised and beaten Laidlaw suffering from shocking facial swelling in an attempt to get information on the case.

In the police appeal for information last week, the suspect was described as being white, of a stocky/muscular build and in his late 40s or early 50s. He had dark hair, dark eyebrows, and was wearing dark clothing. They also released CCTV footage of the attack.

At the time, detective constable Kelly Bragg, of Greater Manchester police's Oldham branch, said: "This is a horrendous act of brutality that has left a man with severe injuries to his face. I'm hoping that by issuing this photograph, people will see the true extent of Derek's injuries and want to work with us to bring his attacker to justice. If anyone knows a man fitting this description, who may have been in the area at the time, please get in touch with us."

Oldham was named England's poorest town by the Office for National Statistic (ONS) in March. The official study found that town contained the highest proportion of deprived areas, with West Bromwich second and Liverpool third. The survey took into account factors such as income, employment, health, education, skills and training, and crime.