A football supporter is recovering in hospital with a suspected bleed on the brain after being attacked by another passenger at Wolverhampton railway station who took offence to his singing.
The victim remains under medical care with injuries doctors fear could be life-changing, though his condition is not currently considered life-threatening following the violent assault on Platform 4’s waiting area.
British Transport Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect and released photographs of a man they urgently need to identify in connection with the attack that occurred during the early evening of Saturday 7 February.
The assault unfolded around 6.30pm as a large group of men gathered in the platform waiting area for their train service. The victim began singing football chants whilst waiting amongst the crowd.
His singing prompted a confrontation when one man from the assembled group walked over and struck the victim twice in the face without warning. The force of the blows caused the supporter to collapse onto the platform floor.
The attacker immediately fled Wolverhampton station following the violence, leaving the injured man requiring emergency medical treatment. Paramedics transported him to hospital where medical staff discovered the serious head injury.
Detectives investigating the incident believe the man captured in the released images possesses crucial information that could progress their enquiries into identifying the person responsible for the attack.
The photographs show a male suspect whose appearance and clothing from that evening could help witnesses recall seeing him at the station or travelling in the area around the time of the assault.
Transport police are appealing to the public for assistance, with particular focus on anyone who may have been present at Platform 4 during the incident or who recognizes the individual featured in the images.
The investigation continues as officers work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the confrontation and trace the suspect’s movements after leaving the railway station premises.
Members of the public with any information regarding the man’s identity are urged to contact British Transport Police by text or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference number 600 of 7 February.
Witnesses who prefer to remain anonymous can alternatively provide details through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where information can be submitted confidentially without providing personal details.
Authorities have not disclosed which football match the groups had attended or which clubs were involved, focusing investigative efforts on identifying and locating the suspect responsible for the platform assault.
