Man critical after Tube row

A man is fighting for his life after being punched to the ground for accidentally stepping on a child's foot.

Police said Vipaul Prasanna's condition is critical with massive head injuries after the attack, which happened outside Wembley Park Tube station on Sunday morning.

Witnesses claim Mr Prasanna, a father of three, became involved in an argument with his attacker after accidentally treading on the foot of a 10-year-old boy who was with the man in the station foyer.

Investigating officer DCI Colin Sutton, from the Met Police Serious Crimes Directorate, said: "We believe that the attacker and his son had got off a train at the station and had been hanging around trying to get through the barriers without a ticket.

" CCTV footage shows Mr Prasanna getting to the barriers and the attacker pushing his son right behind him so that he can 'tailgate' him, and get through without paying.

"At this point Mr Prasanna turns around and says something along the lines of 'what are you doing?' and the father of the little boy starts shouting and becomes very aggressive, claiming that Mr Prasanna has trodden on his son's foot.

"Mr Prasanna is seen apologising repeatedly to the child, but the argument continues as the three people leave the station."

When the men were outside the station, Mr Prasanna, a 41-year-old from Sri Lanka, tried to walk away, but the attacker ran in front of him and confronted him again. Mr Sutton said: "The man was very

aggressive, shouting 'F***ing apologise to my son, and witnesses say that Mr Prasanna then crouched down to the boy's level, put an arm on his shoulder and said 'I'm sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you all right?

"But the man then screamed at him 'Get your f***ing hands off my son.'

"As Mr Prasanna stood up the man punched him with a very powerful uppercut to the chin. Witnesses say that the 'lights went out' in the victim's eyes and he collapsed to the ground, hitting his head very hard."

The attacker and his son were last seen walking off towards Wembley's Chalkhill Estate. His victim was flown by air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.

Mr Prasanna worked in a shop in Brixton to send money home to his wife and children in Sri Lanka. He had not seen them since moving to the UK four years ago and has told friends he wants to return home for good at the end of the year.

Today his wife Sudandhika was trying to obtain immigration clearance to be at his bedside - but the process will take a number of days.

"She is desperate," said Irene Perera, a London family friend. "She is terrible, really hurting. I can't believe this has happened to him. He was a nice person, very friendly and very helpful. He does not deserve that."

DCI Sutton added: "I would appeal for (the attacker), or anyone who can offer any information, to ring me on 020 8247 7911." Potential witnesses may also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The attacker was black and in his twenties. He was wearing a blue baseball cap and a white shirt.

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