Daniel Whiteley assault: Father appeals for witnesses
The father of student who was left critically injured after an attack in Manchester has said he is "heartened" by the support the family has received.
Daniel Whiteley, 19, was found in Platt Fields Park on Tuesday with multiple injuries to his head and body.
Police said an 18-year-old woman and two men, aged 21 and 26, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remain in police custody.
Daniel's father, Mick, made an appeal for witnesses to come forward.
He said: "We are very heartened by the huge number of messages of support and shock at what has happened, which we have received from Dan's large circle of friends from back home and from the University of Manchester.
"This is testimony to the decent, polite, friendly and popular young lad he is. Members of the public should know he was not a thug.
"He is a harmless, well educated, articulate and kind young man returning from a night out with his fellow first-year students from uni, who was the victim of a vicious and sustained attack, robbed of his meagre belongings and left for dead in a park.
"We need your help to bring the people responsible for this to justice and to prevent this happening again."
Police are also appealing to anyone who may have seen a disturbance before the attack at a nearby takeaway on Wilmslow Road, opposite Owens Park, sometime between between 02:00 GMT and 03:30 GMT to come forward.
Mr Whiteley, a first-year English student, remains in hospital where he had surgery for life-threatening injuries.