Gardaí are pursuing a definite line of inquiry into an unprovoked assault on a pensioner as he walked through Eyre Square.

The victim of the assault – a man in his early 70s – was set upon by the assailant on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 12.

Detectives who have trawled through CCTV are understood to have identified the man involved in the incident and are expecting to make an arrest shortly.

The assault occurred at around 3.20pm with the victim being punched on the face – he suffered injuries to his cheek and mouth area. He is understood to have made a good recovery.

Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses to the assault to make contact with them at Galway Garda Station on 091 538000.

A Garda spokesperson said that this was a ‘completely random and unprovoked assault’ on an innocent passerby.

“We take any assault like this seriously in which an elderly man was set upon for no reason.

“Our investigation has made good progress and we are now pursuing a definite line of inquiry in this case,” the Garda spokesperson told the Galway City Tribune.