Father-of-one, Stephen Wilson (25) was found badly injured in an alleyway close to 'Banana Bridge' and Pelham Street at around 11.45pm on 28th April.

He was taken to King's Mill Hospital but has since been moved to the high dependency unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital where he remains unconscious.

Stephen's mother, Jean, and father, Stanley, drove down from Scotland to keep a round-the-clock vigil at their son's bedside.

Detectives are still hunting the attackers, and today Jean Wilson spoke of her devastation and made a fresh appeal for anyone with any information to come forward.

She said: "Stephen is unlikely to ever wake up and if he does he will be severely disabled. I am losing my son.

"To think back to Christmas when he was back home with us, laughing and joking to now, with him lying unconscious in a hospital bed, breaks my hear.

"Stephen is such a happy-go-lucky guy; a real sociable character who likes nothing better than a pint down the pub and a game of pool with his friends.

"He is mad keen on fixing cars. If anyone has trouble with a motor he's under the bonnet straight away, working into the night to sort the problem out.

"Stephen was excited about setting up his own business; it was the whole reason he moved from Scotland to Mansfield back in January.

"And despite the physical distance between us Stephen and his two younger brothers remain close and I spoke to him every day on the phone.

"Whoever did this must be caught; not just for our sakes, but also to ensure another family are spared the nightmare we are suffering now.

"Have a conscience and tell the police what you know. Imagine if it was your loved one."

Witnesses

In the weeks following the attack, detectives have conducted extensive enquiries to piece together what happened on the night in question.

And while a number of witnesses have successfully been traced, one significant witness has yet to come forward.

Det Insp Caroline Racher said: "We need to identify a man who was first on the scene. He alerted a passer-by, and then left before emergency services arrived.

"He is white, in his early 20's, 5'8" to 5'9" tall, of medium build, with short, dark hair and notably had a metal piercing in his right eyebrow."

"We are also releasing a recent image of Steven to help jog people's memories. Did you see Steven on the night he was attacked?

"This is all extremely traumatic for Stephen's family and for their sakes I am appealing to anyone who may have information, no matter how insignificant they think it is, to contact us.

"If you don't want to give your name please call Crimestoppers anonymously instead."

Anyone with information should contact Mansfield South CID on 01623 420999 ext 3135 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.