This is the first picture of Walsall pensioner Leslie Ince who is fighting for his life in hospital after being stabbed in the neck at his home in a well-to-do area of the town.

It was issued by his family today as they made a plea for people to come forward and help detectives leading the hunt for his attacker.

Police, who are treating the incident as attempted murder, have not yet made any arrests following the brutal attack on the 80-year-old who was stabbed in St Ives Road, in the Park Hall area of Walsall.

The former Royal Naval officer is critically ill at Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital.

His daughter Stephanie today made an appeal for help in tracing the person or people responsible for the attack on her father.

She said: “The family find it very difficult to believe that anybody would want to harm our elderly father in any way. We are shocked and devastated that someone could hurt him.

“My dad is a strong, fit and healthy man who is well respected and liked in the community. He was a professional man who used to be in the Royal Naval Academy and remains an active member of the Royal Naval Association.

“He remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital but he is strong and has a determined character so we are hopeful he will pull through.

“We would plead to anyone who has any information whatsoever to come forward and speak to the police. We desperately need to know what has happened and why he was attacked.”

Mr Ince is believed to have been stabbed some time before 9am on February 21. His son had flagged down a passing police car after he found he could not get into the house or make contact with his father.

Scenes of crime officers have carried out examinations at the house and officers have conducted house-to-house enquiries.

Detectives believe the pensioner may have been attacked in his home one or two days before he was found.

Detective Sergeant Rob Bastin, of Walsall CID, said: “We are now treating this case as attempted murder.

“It is an extremely serious incident and we would really like to hear from anyone who can help us with information.

“We have only had a limited number of calls from the public so far and we need to hear from anyone who thinks they may have something to tell us however insignificant they feel it may be.”

People can contact Walsall CID on 0845 113 5000 or the confidential Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.