THREE men who were arrested on suspicion of murder in the Tommy Ward case have been bailed, pending further police enquiries.
The men, aged 23, 30 and 35, were arrested on August 10 in connection to the death of Irish pensioner Tommy Ward last October.
Mr Ward, 80, was found with serious injuries on October 1, 2015 at his home in Maltby.
He was taken to hospital where he remained in a critical condition for a number of months.
The attack left the former miner with brain injuries, a broken jaw and a snapped index finger that was later amputated.
He spent the remainder of his life in hospital and sadly died as a result of his injuries on February 23, almost five months after the brutal attack.
Last Wednesday, South Yorkshire Police executed a number of warrants in the Aston, Ulley, and Wales areas of Rotherham and in Hackenthorpe and Stradbroke in Sheffield, in connection to the ongoing investigation.
The men were arrested on suspicion of murder and were held in police custody while questioned by detectives. They have since been bailed.
A proud Irishman, Tommy Ward was regularly seen in his local pub, The Manor, wearing Irish T-shirts and hats.
His roots in Ireland went back to his grandmother, who came from Co. Galway.
The great-grandfather's funeral took place in May at Rotherham Crematorium and Cemetery. His ashes were taken back to the South Yorkshire town of Maltby afterwards.
80-year-old Tommy Ward in hospital after the attack.In May, Crimestoppers offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the pensioner's death.
Gemma Wilson, Regional Manager for South Yorkshire Crimestoppers, said: “The images of Tommy following his ordeal left a lump in my throat when I think what he went through at the hands of these thugs.
“This could have been your relative, or your grandfather who went through this.
"That is why I’m asking that if anyone has any information on the individuals who did this, to make sure it doesn’t happen again and contact Crimestoppers anonymously.”
Mr Ward was savagely beaten in his own home on Salisbury Road after robbers broke in between 7pm on Wednesday, September 30 and 6.45 am on Thursday, October 1 last year.
A substantial amount of money was believed to have been taken from Mr Ward’s home, along with a safety deposit box, South Yorkshire Police said.
A box similar to the one that was reported stolen was recovered in the Kilnhurst area of Rotherham around two weeks later.
There have been a number of arrests to date in connection with the assault on the pensioner.
In January a man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and aggravated burglary, and a teenage boy was also been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
Two 19-year-old men remain on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and burglary.
