Festival raises £5,000 for comatose teacher

More then 200 of the 40-year-old’s friends and family gathered at the PickleAID music festival in Leeds on the same day his alleged attacker was arrested in Bangkok following a seven-week manhunt.

The event raised £5,000, with the figure expected to rise from an online auction of pledged gifts that were not snapped up on the day.

Mr Pickles’s father Andrew said he and wife Adele, of Thorner, Leeds, were overwhelmed by guests’ generosity and thanked everyone involved

The 62-year-old said: “Although tinged with sadness, it was a really fun afternoon and evening.

“We were able to talk with many of Adam’s and our own friends, some of whom we had not seen for many years, and many people who had never met Adam but had heard about the campaign and came along to give their support.”

Fundraisers hope their continuing efforts will ease the financial burden on Mr Pickles’s family .

The Keighley-born father, who taught at Wakefield’s Cathedral School before moving to Pattaya, Thailand, to teach at the Regent’s International School, was flown to Leeds General Infirmary last month after lying in a Thai hospital for more than five weeks after the May 17 attack.

His medical bill and repatriation are set to cost his parents £123,000 and they have been forced to remortgage their home and use their retirement savings to pay for it.

News of the arrest of a 43-year-old Briton, named in reports as Sean Henry Tinsley, from Wolverhampton, has brought relief to the family but also the prospect of legal fees, which are likely to carry a hefty price tag along with Mr Pickles’ future rehabilitation costs.

To find out how to help visit www.donatetoadam.org