A MAN left in a coma since being seriously injured in a one-punch nightclub attack is ‘squeezing family members’ hands’ and ‘making good progress’.

Ben Pennington, 28, suffered serious head injuries after an incident at the Level One nightclub in Darwen in the early hours of Saturday.

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The 3am attack left him having to have a large part of his skull removed after he suffered a bleed on the brain.

Ben’s father, Mark Pennington, said his son had not yet woken up but doctors had reduced his medication and there had been positive signs.

He said: “Ben’s made good progress today. I’m convinced he knows we are there. We ask him questions and he responds by squeezing our hand.

“That makes us optimistic but there’s a long way to go for him. Doctors have told us that he has been given so much medication and anaesthetic that it could take several days for him to come to.

“They have removed his collar and introduced a feeding tube. They are reducing his medication to try to bring him out of the coma. It could take hours or days, everyone is different. The scary time starts when he wakes up to see what damage has been done.”

Mr Pennington, 58, said he and the family had been overwhelmed by the support of Ben’s friends and the hundreds of strangers who have sent messages of support. He said: “We got told off by the ward sister yesterday because of the number of visitors.

“We want people to come as we think its good for Ben. We understand how close to him his friends are.

“As a family we’ve all been totally blown away by the thousands and I mean thousands of calls, messages and offers of help we’ve received. Ben’s huge network of friends and contacts has amazed us all. We are truly, humbled, thank you.”

Earlier this week, Mr Pennington, who owns Pennington Bakeries and Sandwiches in Preston, released a picture of his son in the critical care unit Preston to show what damage a single punch could do.

Ben, who lives in Walton-le-Dale, had a five hour operation at the Royal Preston Hospital to relieve the pressure on his brain just hours after the attack on Saturday. The family were told the operation was a substantial risk to his life, but it was the only option after he sustained two significant bleeds on the brain.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and released on police bail.

Police have also issued an appeal for witnesses to the incident to come forward.