A Good Samaritan has been left permanently deaf after he was hit on the head when he went to the aid of a teenager.

Father-of-two John Laing, 35, suffered two fractures to his skull and lost the hearing in his left ear when he went to rescue the 17-year-old in Didcot last month.

Tonight, his wife Tracey, 33, pleaded with anyone who knew her husband's attacker to come forward. She said the assault had changed her family's life forever.

Mr Laing, a lorry driver, said: "I just saw someone getting attacked and went to help them. If it was my son getting attacked, I would hope somebody would do the same for him.

"But I'd be in two minds whether to go and help after this attack. It's a horrible thing to say, but all I wanted to do is help and look what happened - so is it really worth getting involved?"

Mr Laing, the father of 10-year-old Jack and six-year-old Ellie, was walking home from a pub on November 16 when he saw a gang of yobs smash a bottle in the face of a teenager in Lostock Place, Didcot, outside the Co-op shop.

He immediately went to help but the next thing he can recall is lying on the ground injured and unable to hear.

Police believe he was hit above the ear and behind the head with either a bottle or a brick.

Mr Laing spent five days in hospital and this week has been told he will remain deaf in his left ear and will need a hearing aid for his right ear.

He has not been able to work since the attack, leaving his family struggling to afford Christmas and their mortgage.

Mrs Laing said: "It's horrendous for my children because they cannot have a relationship with him at the moment because he's feeling depressed and cannot hear them.

"Part of me feels angry because if he hadn't gone to help, we wouldn't be in this situation. But that's not in John's nature.

"Up until that day, he was always a happy-go-lucky, laughing and smiling and whistling and singing. This has completely changed our life around.

"There must be a mother out there who knows who did this to my husband and understands the impact it has had on us and my children."

But police have met a wall of silence. DC Deborah Goff said: "We have spoken to many people, but no-one is willing to write a statement or name who was behind this. We won't tolerate this kind of behaviour and we ask people to come forward because this person needs to be arrested."

Call police on 08458 505505 or speak anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.