Man, 73, attacked walking home from mosque in Birmingham

• CCTV footage shows the moment a man is attacked as he walks home from a mosque in Birmingham.

A man, 73, has been left injured after he was attacked as he walked home from a mosque in Birmingham.

He was walking along York Road in Kings Heath last night (Wednesday 29 March) at around 11.00pm, close to Kings Heath mosque.

Three men got out of a black vehicle which was parked on the street and one man ran up to the victim, kicking him in the back before fleeing.

The man fell, hitting his head on a display board and was taken to hospital with cuts to his face and a broken hand.

The attackers are described as two white men and one black man, all aged between 18 and 30, and all wearing tracksuits.

It follows an attack in Edgbaston last week, where Mohammed Rayaz, 70, was set on fire as he walked home from Dudley Road mosque.

Mohammed Abbkr, 28, has been charged with attempting to murder Mr Rayaz, and another elderly man in London who was also set alight after leaving a mosque.

West Midlands Police says the motive for the attack in Kings Heath "isn't clear at this stage, but there is nothing to suggest any connection at all to the recent attack on a man who was walking home from a mosque in Edgbaston."

Sgt Chris Gallon, of Moseley and Kings Heath police, said: "This was an appalling attack on a member of the public who was heading home.

"We'll be taking a full statement from the victim, who remains in hospital today, and we've already got officers in the area this morning recovering CCTV and carrying out house-to-house enquiries we are working hard to identify the attackers and the car that they were in.

"We'll also have extra officers in the area for reassurance, and it's important that anyone with concerns comes to speak to us.

"At this stage the motive for the attack is not clear, but there is nothing to suggest any connection at all to the recent attack on a man who was walking home from a mosque in Edgbaston."