THREE months ago, Brian Coates was strolling contentedly through a North-East town centre, on his way to buy holiday currency for a planned break with his wife.

Fate intervened when the 74-year-old grandfather suffered life-changing head injuries after a fall in Skinnergate, in Darlington, on September 5.

He has been in hospital ever since, with no indication of when he will be able to return home.

A police investigation has failed to establish for certain whether Mr Coates was knocked by a group of young boys on bikes, who were seen in the area by witnesses.

On the three-month anniversary of Mr Coates' accident, his daughter, Claire Hodgson, has appealed for two people who helped him to come forward.

She said: "There are two people who are witnesses to the incident that stayed to help my Dad, but police have never been able to get a statement from them.

"Whether they are reluctant to come forward, or have just not seen previous appeals, I don't know.

"They were both male and in their early 20s."

Mr Coates and his wife, Mary, had been due to go on holiday to Spain, but his accident meant they were unable to go.

After several weeks at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, Mr Coates has been cared for in the neuro-rehabilitation unit at Bishop Auckland Hospital.

Mrs Hodgson said: "He is OK, he is still in hospital and will be for quite a few weeks to come.

"Physically, his recovery has been very good, it is just how the accident has affected him mentally – he is still struggling with his communications skills and he can talk a bit, but it is often very difficult to understand him.

"It has had a huge impact on his life, before the accident he was fit and well and still working full-time, running his own insurance business."

Mr Coates will spend Christmas in hospital, but his daughter is hopeful that the New Year will see him start to be rehabilitated, at first with short trips out, with the ultimate aim of him being well enough to go home.

Mrs Hodgson added: "The doctors can't give us a definite prognosis, but it is unlikely that he will make a full recovery.

"I have got three teenager daughters and they are very close to their granddad, this has been quite difficult for the whole family."

Prior to his accident, Mr Coates was so fit that last year he took part in a skydive with his grand-daughter, Abbie, to raise funds for the children's heart unit, at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle.

Mrs Coates has called for cycling to be banned in pedestrian areas of Darlington town centre in the light of her husband's accident.

Witnesses to the incident can call police on 101.