Daughter of Spain attack victim in plea for answers

The daughter of a British man who died after being attacked by a stranger in a Spanish resort city in 2018 has renewed her call for information to help find his killer.

Mike Rydings, 48, from Wythenshawe in Manchester, was celebrating a friend's 50th birthday and watching the World Cup at a bar in Benidorm when he was set upon in the early hours of 23 June.

His daughter Hayley Barker said witnesses saw him backing away "with his hands up" before he was punched in the face, leaving him with a broken nose and serious head injures after falling on to the concrete.

Mr Rydings was treated in a Spanish hospital before being moved to Salford Royal, but died 14 months later.

Ms Barker said an investigation by both Spanish and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had failed to find identify the attacker, despite GMP interviewing a range of British holidaymakers who were at the Hippodrome Bar at the time.

"It makes me feel angry," she told BBC Radio Manchester.

"My dad was stolen from me in such cruel circumstances, whoever has done this still gets to live their life.

"We can't move forward as such because we don't have justice."

She called for anyone who may have new information that could help to contact GMP.

"It would mean the world - we'd actually get some answers, it's what we deserve as a family," Ms Barker said.

GMP said while the investigation was the responsibility of Spanish authorities, they were ready to assist if required.

She said her father was 5ft 10ins (1.55m), had a stocky build and was wearing a red Hugo Boss t-shirt and glasses at the time of the attack.

While Ms Barker said she had great memories of her dad being "the life and soul of the party" before his attack, her children had no memory of him.

She said she was pregnant with her first child, a daughter, when Mr Rydings was attacked.

"He never even got to hold her because of the condition he was left in before he passed away," she said.

"In 2022 I had a son who would have been his only grandson, so that was very sad."

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