The heartache continues for a South Yorkshire family robbed of a precious loved one seven years after he was subjected to a horrific robbery and later died.

Relatives of Tommy Ward, who was 80 when he was targeted in his Rotherham home on October 1, 2015, have endured another year of agony knowing his killer has never been caught. The OAP was brutally attacked in his home in Salisbury Street, Maltby, and was left with a fractured skull, broken ribs and broken jaw.

When police officers were alerted to the horror attack they discovered that Tommy’s £30,000 life savings had been stolen.

The safe he kept his money in was taken during the raid and one identical to Tommy’s was later recovered from the canal in Kilnhurst, Rotherham, a short time after the robbery.

Tommy Ward died after he was attacked during a robbery in his own home

The much loved former soldier and miner never recovered from his ordeal and died in hospital four months later. Despite a £10,000 Crimestoppers reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer, nobody has yet been charged.

DCI Vicky Short, who investigated the case on behalf of South Yorkshire Police, described the murder as ‘horrendous, so unnecessary and so pointless’.

On the first anniversary of the murder, she said: “It's so sad and we just want to find out who did this and send them to prison.”

It is one of a number of unsolved murders on South Yorkshire Police’s books but the force has a major incident review team, whose remit is to review and re-investigate unsolved murders, rapes and sexual assaults, in the hope of securing justice for victims and families. Cases are regularly re-assessed to look for new lines of enquiry or forensic opportunities.

Graphic photographs of Tommy were released by his daughter, Jackie Perry, on an anniversary of the death in the hope of encouraging those with information to come forward to help solve the case. She described her dad’s attacker as “scum”.

“Please help us and share these photos. I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this, it's heartbreaking so perhaps it might pull at someone's heartstrings and come forward,” she said at the time.

Anyone with information about Tommy’s murder should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Heartache continues for family of Tommy Ward seven years after he dies following horrific robbery