THE brother of a man who was left for dead by two teenagers says his family are devastated by the attack.

John Morris says his brother Frank, 47, of Delamere Avenue, Widnes, suffered life threatening injuries which he may never re-cover from following an incident outside JJB Sports and Fitness Centre on Saturday, August 5.

He said: 'He wasn't doing anything and two youths turned on him. They got a house brick and hit him across the face and then stamped on his head.

'We were told by doctors that his injuries were that bad that they thought he might die.'

Mr Morris says his brother has since been transferred to St Helens Hospital where he has been taken out of intensive care and will undergo further tests.

But he says his brother is still seriously ill.

Mr Morris added: 'Our lives have been turned upside down over this. He is unrecognisable to his family with all the tubes and wires all over him. It is like a different person lying there.

'We are just hoping that he can get through and recover, but at the moment he must have brain damage as he thinks he is in another world.'

Mr Morris has also paid tribute to a brave passerby who attempted to stop the youths.

He added: 'I think this person may have saved his life. He stopped and tried to stop them but he couldn't. But he called 999 and police were there in minutes and arrested two lads.'

Police have confirmed that two 16-year-old youths have been arrested and bailed until September.