The 66-year-old grandfather died after being punched outside a pub. UK News

The family of a “devoted” grandfather, who passed away following an attack outside a village pub, has released a tribute. Six days after being punched outside

David Darke, 66, of the Crown public house in Appleby Magna, Leicestershire, suffered head injuries and died in hospital yesterday.

A 36-year-old man who was initially arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm was later re-arrested on suspicion of murder and is still in police custody.

In a statement released on Sunday, Mr Darke’s family described him as “a very loving father to three daughters and a proud grandfather to three boys”.

She added, “He was a much-loved brother and dear friend. Dave will live forever in our hearts, minds and spirits.

He was a strong, active, intelligent, and kind man who was a friend to all.”

“He was a devoted family man, with a deep passion for life, the outdoors, nature and travel. His life was tragically cut short and he has now been reunited with his loving, caring parents. All those who knew and loved him will greatly miss him.

His friends and family knew him as Dave, with neighbours saying he was a “nice guy” who worked in a local hotel and lived alone in a bungalow in the village.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident on Church Street just before 9.45pm on Sunday, December 21, and Mr Darke died at Queen’s Medical Center in Nottingham on Saturday.

The East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) is leading the ongoing investigation into his death, according to Leicestershire Police. Officers have urged anyone with information who has not yet spoken to police to come forward.

All residents spoken to live in Leicestershire. They were completely shocked and were saying that nothing like this had happened before in the village.

The pub’s next-door neighbour, Chris Adams, 71, has lived there for 24 years and said it was “very unusual for something like this to happen”.

He added, “We were surprised because it’s such a quiet village and such a lovely pub. The landlady at The Crown does a wonderful job. The pub is in the centre of the community and we’ve never had any problems there.”

Millie Newall, a 21-year-old who resides near The Crown, reported that her father was walking his dog when the incident occurred, prompting her to call for an ambulance. He said, “It is quite scary. But things like this happen. This town is a quiet village and it is strange for this kind of incident to happen here.”

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Kevin Hames said, “The initial investigation resulted in us identifying a number of witnesses and examining CCTV from the area.

“Those inquiries will continue and the suspect will be reinterrogated by detectives.” This is an extremely difficult time for Mr Darke’s family and specialist officers are supporting them.

“We would still encourage anyone who was in Church Street last Sunday evening and who has not yet spoken to officers to remain in touch. We need to speak to as many people as possible who can help us piece together what happened that evening.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101, quoting crime number 25*744889.