Chris Parrott -- the Morris Motors steward who was viciously attacked by a gang of teenagers -- is to take the first steps towards emigrating.

Mr Parrott, who has been attacked in the line of duty before, said he and his wife are going to Tenerife to look for business opportunities.

"We thought the sunshine would do me some good and help the healing process," said Mr Parrott.

"We were thinking about retiring to warmer climes before this happened so this has just accelerated the process."

Mr Parrott, 50, is still recovering from the attack which happened outside the Morris Motors Athletics and Social Club in Cowley on March 17.

Chris and Marilyn Parrott A gang of eight youths, some as young as 14, left him lying covered in blood after he asked them to stop swinging on goalposts at the club's sports fields.

He said he hopes his attackers "get what's coming to them" but is trying not to let the incident ruin his life.

He said: "What goes around comes around. The people who did this can't expect to get away with it. They will get their comeuppance. They'll try this one too many times and come up against the wrong person and hopefully get what's coming to them. They'll be found sooner or later."

And despite being attacked twice in two years, Mr Parrott maintains he would do it again if faced with the same situation.

He said: "You come up against things that could be risky all the time. You can't just ignore them."

It has been six weeks since the attack but Mr Parrott, whose wife Marilyn saw most of it, said he is making slow progress.

"It's going to take a long time what with the amount of fractures I had," he said.

"I'm trying not to let it ruin my life but certain things do remind me. My wife saw more of it than me. One minute I was standing there, the next I was in the ambulance."

He suffered fractures to the jaw, cheekbone and eye socket and lost three front teeth. He was in hospital for five days and underwent surgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital where he had metal plates inserted in his face to re-build it.

He has never regained feeling in one side of his face and doctors have told him if this doesn't return within two years, it may never do so.

Mr Parrott has been attacked in the line of duty before and next month, he will collect a second bravery award in Birmingham for wrestling a robber to the ground after the offender stole takings from the club in November.