Delivery driver killed in 'random' attack

A DELIVERY driver has died after he was hit with a single punch in a random attack by a gang of youths.

• Delivery driver Simon San died after confronting youths who were rocking his car outside the takeaway he worked in Edinburgh's Restalrig area. Pic: Neil Hanna

Simon San, 40, died with his family at his bedside yesterday after being rushed to hospital in Edinburgh.

Police said they are treating the attack as murder and issued descriptions of the attackers.

Mr San, who was Vietnamese, had been returning to the Chinese takeaway restaurant he ran with his brothers and sisters on Lochend Road South in the Restalrig area of the city when a group of youngsters started rocking his Smart car at around 10pm on Wednesday.

When he got out of the car, which he had parked next to a bus stop, one teenage boy punched him and he fell and suffered a head injury.

As he lay on the ground, other members of the group stole his possessions, which have not yet been recovered, and ran off.

A senior police detective described it as a "random, minor assault" that resulted in "severe consequences"

Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Blair of Lothian and Borders Police yesterday called for residents to come forward to help identify the gang.

Between six and 12 teenagers aged between 15 and 17, both male and female, were gathered at the bus stop at the time of the incident.

But only four males were involved in the attack, which police do not believe was racially motivated. DCI Blair said all inquiries so far pointed to it being a random attack.

He said: "He was a gentleman going about his business who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He said he was confident the gang would be identified. He described Mr San's family as "close-knit" and said they were devastated. Mr San's sister, Shirley, yesterday described her brother, who was single, as a quiet happy man who always avoided trouble.

Clearly shaken, she said the whole family had gathered by his bedside through the night until he died at 8:30am yesterday. She said: "We were inside and did not see or hear anything until afterwards. He was a happy man who didn't like to involve himself in anything."

She said the family had not experienced any racist attacks but had had trouble with violent youngsters at Christmas.

A resident, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "He was a really nice man, he used to say hello to the kids when we went in for a takeaway at the weekend.

"But there is always trouble with the kids around here. Our flats have an underground garage and they even break into that and steal cars.

"My partner and I are planning to move at the end of the month, there's just too much going on here."It's not a place I want to bring up my son."

Police were yesterday redirecting traffic around the bus stop, which was taped off for much of the day.

Mr San's car was taken away by officers for forensic investigation. The San family posted a sign on shutter at the Yong Hua Garden telling customers the shop was closed.

Peter Swanson, 50, who owns the Loch Inn pub next door to the takeaway, said he was not surprised by the tragedy.

He said: "It's awful to say but this was a long time coming. This whole street is over-run with gangs of youths with nothing better to do."

The main suspect is 5ft 10in, with short black hair, a slim face, and wearing a black fleece top. Another of the group is 5ft 1in to 5ft 2in, with short blond hair, wearing grey jogging pants and a white polo shirt.