Man dies after being hit with bottle in Prague

A man has died after being hit over the head with a vodka bottle while he was on holiday in the Czech Republic.

Dai Richards, understood to be from Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was on a night out in Prague on Friday.

Police said Mr Richards was hit on the head at about 23:00 local time (22:00 BST) and was taken to hospital where he later died.

Police in Prague said they have arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with Mr Richards' death.

His family told WalesOnline that Mr Richards had returned from a family holiday on Thursday night before heading to Prague on Friday for the stag do of a close friend.

He had left the house at 05:00 BST, but at about 22:00, his partner received a phone call.

They added: "[It was] from [Mr Richards' friend] Nathan to say that there was an incident that had happened with David and the whole family needed to get a flight as soon as possible as he was critical."

They said that when they arrived they hoped Mr Richards would pull through his injuries. However life-support machines were switched off on Saturday afternoon.

Police said a rift broke out between two groups of tourists in the Národní třída area of the city.

A spokesperson said at first they spoke calmly, but added: "There was a rift between them and one of them hit the other on the head with a bottle of vodka."

However, Mr Richards' family have called it a blind attack.

The family paid tribute to Mr Richards by saying he had "the heart of a lion" and described him as "the glue to the family."

"He was an absolutely amazing father, partner, son, brother, and friend. There isn't a bad word to be said about him," they added.

Penrhiwceiber councillor Ross Williams said the community is "devastated".

He said: "It's a very close knit community and there has been an outpouring of support for the family.

"I knew Dai as a youngster who joined the Mountain Ash football team and I always knew him as a very polite and funny kid. He was always the life and soul of the party, it's such a tragic loss."

Also paying tribute, AFC Abercynon said the world had "lost a good man, a father, a son and a brother".

In statement online, it said it was a "loss for all of us, but the grief and sorrow that you as a family must feel are the deepest and most poignant and personal".

A fundraising page has been set up to support the family.

The Foreign Office have said they were supporting Mr Richards' family.