POLICE have carried out anniversary checks in a bid to discover how a man was left fighting for his life with head injuries following an attack.Tony Latchford, 36, was found by a group of three youths in Bury St Edmunds of January 15 and is currently in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge where his condition is described as critical.

POLICE have carried out anniversary checks in a bid to discover how a man was left fighting for his life with head injuries following an attack.

Tony Latchford, 36, was found by a group of three youths in Bury St Edmunds of January 15 and is currently in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge where his condition is described as critical.

Mr Latchford, from Bury St Edmunds, was found at 7.45pm in St Andrews Street South and was taken to West Suffolk Hospital but later transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

On Saturday a team of officers spoke to motorists and pedestrians in St Andrews Street, Bury St Edmunds, to see if they were in the area at the time of the attack.

Between 6.15pm and 8pm police spoke to 299 motorists and 51 pedestrians in the hope of finding more information.

Detective sergeant Barry Byford said: "We had a very positive response from the public and we will now be working to process the information provided and will be making follow up enquiries.

"The fact that we spoke with so many people indicated there was a number of individuals in the area the previous week.

"We are still to talk to these people even if they believe they have nothing to add to the enquiry.

"You might not realise it but you could have that vital bit of information that could help us with this investigation."

Det Sgt Byford said he was convinced Mr Latchford been the victim of an unprovoked attack.

"He is a man who is in employment and of good character. From what we have established he is a pleasant man who keeps himself to himself," he said.

"He has only moved to Bury from London in the last six months so he tends to have acquaintances rather than friends, which has also limited our inquiries.

"It seems Mr Latchford has been an unfortunate victim, who certainly didn't deserve to be left lying unconscious on the floor with serious head injuries."

Medical examinations reveal Mr Latchford had been assaulted but the hunt for his attackers has so far been unsuccessful.

Mr Latchford had been in the Grapes pub on Brentgovel Street earlier that evening and police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

A 30-year-old man who has been arrested in connection with the incident has been released on police bail and is due back at Bury St Edmunds police station on February 20.