Wednesfield New Year's Eve pub murder: Victim named locally as Darel Clarke

Mr Clarke, 50, was attacked in the beer garden or smoking area of The Boat pub in Church Street in Wednesfield near St Thomas' CofE Church.

He suffered a 'serious head injury' according to police.

He was then said to have made his way to the Royal Tiger Pub just down the road where an ambulance was called.

It is the second New Year's in a row that Mr Clarke had been attacked according to friends, as he was also put in intensive care last year following an assault outside his former home on West Avenue.

Witnesses to the New Year's Eve murder have suggested that it was a long time between the attack happening and an ambulance being phoned, as Mr Clarke had carried on drinking in the Royal Tiger after being asked to leave The Boat.

Donna Wilkinson, who runs The Boat with her wife, also called Donna Wilkinson, said that when she went outside to collect glasses she saw Mr Clarke sitting on a bench in the beer garden with a cut to his cheek.

Other people in the beer garden insisted that he had fallen over.

She added that he had tried to continue drinking in the pub after the incident but had been refused and that's when he went down the road to the Royal Tiger Pub a few hundred feet away.

Paramedics were called to the Royal Tiger but, according to the second Mrs Wilkinson, only after Mr Clarke had continued drinking in the pub and fallen off a bar stool.

Police say the man's condition deteriorated and he passed away at New Cross hospital on Saturday.

Asked about Mr Clarke, Mrs Wilkinson said: "He doesn't drink in here very often, he just comes in to sell bits and bobs.

"He does his things and that's down to him.

"I had asked Darel to leave earlier in the night after he was harassing someone at the bar for a drink. I also tried to ring an ambulance for him after the incident but he said he would refuse to get in it so I didn't want to waste anybody's time."

Mrs Wilkinson's wife, the licensee holder, added: "Since we took over in September it has been zero tolerance and no trouble. We have put our foot down and this is the first incident that's happened here.

"We would like to reassure our customers that we did everything to stop it happening. We had door staff on and its just unfortunate that it happened here."

West Midlands Police are urging witnesses and people with any information to get in touch. Detective Inspector Ian Iliffe said: "Someone knows who's done this and I would urge them to contact us.

"Equally the person who is responsible may also want to look at their own conscience and come forward for the sake of the family.

"The pub would have been busy with people out to celebrate the start of the new year and we need any witnesses to come forward as soon as possible."

Anyone who was in The Boat pub between 10pm and 11pm and who saw an altercation, or has information on how the victim came about his injuries, is urged to call West Midlands Police Force CID at Harborne police station on 101 or anonymously Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Residents have spoken of their shock after the incident. One man, who did not wish to be named, who was working in the town, said: "We saw police and wondered what was happening. It's not nice to hear someone's been attacked."

The pub last night announced it would be closing its doors earlier on Friday and Saturday nights at 10.30pm 'due to recent events'. Anyone not in the pub by that time will be refused entry. A post on its Facebook page also said CCTV is now in operation.