Man attacked and robbed

A man was attacked and robbed by two thieves in Kingsway.

The 35-year-old man was stood in an alleyway at about 7.30pm on 1 October 2013 when he was approached by the duo, who initially asked him if he had a spare cigarette.

When the man replied he did not, one of the offenders grabbed his right arm so as to disarm him while his accomplice swung a punch.

Luckily the man managed to duck but the thieves still managed to steal a mobile phone and his wallet from his pockets, and ran across Kingsway towards Mosely Road.

The phone stolen was a white Samsung Galaxy S4.

Police are now appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

The first offender was described as being black, 25-28-years-old, 6ft tall and of a muscular build. He was said to have one-inch bleached Afro hair that had a gingerish tinge and wearing a dark tracksuit.

The other man was also black, about 18-20-years-old, 5ft 9in tall and of a medium build. He was wearing a black tracksuit with the hood pulled up and Nike Air Max trainers with coloured stripes.

Detective Constable John Sharples said: "Sadly, these sorts of robberies are all too common. Offenders who group together in twos and threes take advantage of individuals who are on their own, minding their own business.

"I want people to imagine themselves in that situation because it could all too easily happen to any of us.

"Imagine how this man is feeling having been attacked and robbed by two thieves and imagine how you would feel in that situation. You would want to see these two cowards caught and so does he.

"So, if you know anything about this robbery, either through witnessing what happened or suspect you know from the above description who may be involved, then we need to hear from you."

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.