Two men were charged with attack and two others are on police bail

Tragedy: Mushin Ahmed was beaten up at 5.25am on Monday August 10 as he walked to his local mosque but died in hospital today.

A Muslim grandfather who was savagely beaten on his way to pray at a mosque has died 11 days after the attack.

Mushin Ahmed, 81, who was dressed in traditional robes, was set upon in a 'sickening' assault just yards from his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Police refused to speculate on why Mr Ahmed was targeted, but have not ruled out the possibility he was the victim of a racially-motivated attack.

The grandfather, described by his family as 'gentle and non-confrontational,' was on his way to say his morning prayers on August 10. He was found slumped on the ground with serious head injuries shortly before 6am.

Mr Ahmed was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died early yesterday. A post-mortem examination is being carried out to establish the exact cause of his death.

Racial tensions have been heightened in Rotherham following revelations that the police and local council failed to properly investigate the abuse of young white girls, predominantly at the hands of gangs of Asian men, because they were too scared of confronting the race issue.

A top level inquiry is investigating sexual assaults on as many as 1,400 girls, between 1997 and 2013, and has already identified as many as 300 suspects.

Far-right groups have held marches in the town to try to exploit the tensions between white and ethnic minority communities in recent months.

Friend Mohammed Rashid said it was 'possible' Mr Ahmed had been targeted for his race.

'He always wears the traditional robe and headgear and it's possible, with some things that have been blamed on Muslims, that this is the reason he has been attacked,' Mr Rashid said.

Crime scene: Two men have been charged with the attack 11 days ago while two others remain on police bail

Mr Ahmed, who moved to Rotherham in the 1950s, is thought to be married to Margaret, 71. The couple have four children and 12 grandchildren.

Before Mr Ahmed's death, his son Yoseff Ahmed, 40, condemned his attackers as 'disgusting'.

'This should be seen for what it is, a terrible crime which we hope will not take away his life or his quality of life,' he said.

'We hoped that after all these years [my father] would be safe taking his morning walk to prayers, but unfortunately these days society can't guarantee that to any of us.

'Should this turn out to be racially motivated we wouldn't dream of labelling everyone, we need to remember they are criminals of the lowest order.'

He added: 'My father is the beloved grandfather to my seven children. His nature is gentle and non-confrontational, so it's shocking and sickening that they couldn't get whatever they were after by merely asking.' Detective Chief Inspector Chris Singleton said Mr Ahmed was a 'much loved and respected member of his community'.

Two men Damien Hunt, 29, and Kieran Rice, 21, both from Rotherham, have been charged with assaulting Mr Ahmed. They were remanded in custody and are due to appear before Sheffield Crown Court on August 28.

Another two local men, aged 29 and 24, who were arrested earlier this week, have been bailed pending further enquiries.