IT'S been 10 years since Yoker man Joe Proctor was attacked by a gang of youths and left for dead as he walked home from a night out in Clydebank.

The actor suffered a fractured skull, nose and a broken tooth when he was assaulted on the Forth and Clyde canal path on March 29, 2008.

He had hypothermia and paramedics said he could have died, had a stranger not pulled him out of the canal, wrapped him in a curtain to keep him warm and phoned emergency services.

The now 28-year-old says he is giving it “one last bash” to find the woman who saved his life – just so he can meet her and say thank you.

Recalling that night a decade ago, he told the Post: “I was out in Clydebank having a few drinks with friends and we all decided to start walking up the road, but my friends stopped at the bus stop and I kept walking.

“I went to walk down the canal because it’s the quickest way to Yoker where my parents were.

“There was a lot of gang violence that went on between Yoker and Whitecrook and so when I was walking down, and I got to about Whitecrook, there was a lot of people jumping about.

“It was dead dark, but I could tell people had been drinking and stuff.

“I thought I’ll walk back and cross the bridge so that I was on the other side away from them because I didn’t want to walk through and tell them I was from Yoker.

“I went to do that, and it was like a mile back to cross a bridge and so I thought, I’ll just risk it [and walk past them]. That’s the last thing I really remember.”

Despite coming so close to losing his life, Joe isn’t angry.

He continued: “If it wasn’t for this woman who had pulled me out of the canal, phoned an ambulance and covered me up with a curtain to keep me warm until the paramedics came, I wouldn’t be here today at all.

“I’ve really tried to find her, but it’s still not happened. There’s nothing going to come up from it again.

“I just want to thank her in person and meet her. I don’t hold anything against the guys. We’re all young and dumb at some point in our lives and I think they just made a silly decision.

“I’m totally at peace with it and I totally forgive the guys that did it, so I just want to meet this woman.

“I’d be a very angry guy if I couldn’t let it go. I’m so thankful to just be having a second go as well.

“It’s unbelievable. When a stranger saves your life, it changes your attitude to people you don’t know.”

The actor, who works for Baldy Bane Theatre Company, now commits his time to sharing his own experience of gang violence with young people.

And he said this will be his last go at finding the Good Samaritan.

He said: “This is my last bash at it because I don’t want to keep upsetting myself.”

If you can help Joe, contact editorial@clydebankpost.co.uk