Bolton town centre attack leaves man feeling 'frightened'

James Grailey, 60, was out in Bolton on Saturday July 29 heading to meet his ex-partner of 40 years, Yvonne Wadsworth.

But as he made his way to the NatWest Bank, he was randomly attacked near to Wilko’s on Deansgate.

According to Yvonne, Mr Grailey was approached and was beaten up with his head ‘smacked into the wall’ – and now his family including daughter Collette Wadsworth, 34, are appealing for people in the area to come forward if they have any information.

Yvonne said: “I wasn’t with him at the time, but he was meeting me in town, he bought me a gold bracelet just out of kindness really, he is always doing things like that, that’s what he is like.

James Grailey (Image: Yvonne Wadsworth)

“I was actually in town. He had left his phone at home so I couldn’t get in contact with him, and we hadn’t made arrangements where to meet up, so he ended up going into The Swan Pub and after that he was going to the bank, the NatWest, and he said after that he doesn’t remember anything.

“He got jumped, it all happened so fast, they knocked him unconscious, and I had to take him to the hospital the next day.

James and Yvonne (Image: Yvonne Wadsworth)

“I called the ambulance for him because he is on blood thinners as he has had a stroke in the past, so he hasn’t recovered fully from that.

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“And I had to take him to the hospital for a scan on his head, an X-ray and luckily it was just bruising to his skull, and he is just black and blue.

“When the ambulance men come, he was really upset, he was crying and he had a panic attack, he was choking.

“I think it has really frightened him.

“He is a man who would not hurt a fly, he is really not the sort of guy to do anything like that, it has really floored him.

“It has really upset me to see him in that way, it was on a Saturday at 6pm in broad daylight.

“He remembers people being around in the bus stop across the road and he said three men or lads helped him from what he can remember as he smacked his head in the wall, that they picked him up and put him in a taxi home.

James Grailey (Image: Yvonne Wadsworth)

“The day after he rang the police, I didn’t find out until the day after, he just went home, and I called an ambulance for him the day after.

“He has not been sleeping much, he has been waking up and I am just appealing to the public to come forward if they saw anything to let the police know.

“Police said they are checking CCTV.”

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Collette said it shaken her up to see her dad in this way.

She said: “It has really shaken him up, you don’t expect it when walking through town during the day.

“He is really quiet and at the time he had a panic attack, and he has been crying, it would set anyone’s anxiety through the roof, a random attack like that.

“It is dangerous out there and you have got to be careful.

“It is just scary and it has shook me up too to see my dad like that.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “At around 8am on Sunday 30 July, Greater Manchester Police were made aware of an alleged assault which took place at a premises on Deansgate, Bolton the night before (Saturday 29 July).

“It is believed that a 60-year-old man was assaulted and taken to hospital for treatment. Thankfully, the injuries are not believed to be life changing.

“No arrests have been made at this time, but an investigation is underway.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.