A DAD-of-two died after he was attacked by a gang as he walked home with his wife.

Ronald and Josie Theodore were set upon early on Saturday in Westfield Road, Heckmondwike, near their home.

The couple had been out for a curry and were nearly home when they were targeted in what appears to be a random attack. Mr Theodore, 40, died in hospital.

A 19-year-old man has been detained by police and is due in court later, when he is expected to face a manslaughter charge.

Four other people have been questioned and released on bail. Childminder Mrs Theodore banged on windows and doors in the street to raise the alarm while the gang fled.

Police arrived 10 minutes later to find her 40-year-old husband unconscious on the road and his wife hysterical. Resident Betty Clift, 69, said she was still up reading when she heard shouts from outside.

"I didn't look out at first because I thought it would just be drunk people messing about on a Friday night," she said.

"But then it sounded like things were starting to get really heated. I heard a woman screaming and knew there must be something seriously wrong.

"The next thing I knew someone was frantically banging on the door and all the windows and I heard the woman screaming: `Help, help. Please someone give me a phone. They've knocked him out.'

"She was really hysterical. I phoned the police and then came outside and saw him lying down on the road. It was horrible. He looked dead.

"While we were waiting for the ambulance to arrive another neighbour who had come out tried to resuscitate him. I wanted to comfort the lady, but there was nothing I could do. It's terrible.

"This is a lovely little area. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

A post-mortem confirmed Mr Theodore's death was suspicious. Five people were arrested. Two 18-year-old men, a 17-year-old youth and a teenage girl of 17 were freed on bail after questioning.

Flowers and tributes have been put at the scene where Mr Theodore, originally from Liverpool, was attacked.

Cards showed messages of shock and sadness for the family man, believed to have two children aged eight and two.

One message read: "A true friend who will be sorely missed." Another simply said "Why?"

The dead man's distraught wife was too upset to comment.

A friend, who did not want to be named, said: "This must have been a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"He was a friend to everybody. I can't imagine who would want to hurt him.

"How many more nice, decent people are going to die like this before something is done?"