Hampshire Constabulary

Officers are appealing for information and witnesses after an incident where a man was robbed while trying to help a couple in ‘distress’ in Foxes Forest recreational area in Peronne Road, Portsmouth.

The 48-year-old man was walking his dog with a female friend at around 10.45am on Wednesday, October 28. As they neared the footbridge on Peronne Road a couple approached them.

The couple said that their child had been attacked by a swan. The man walking his dog looked towards the nearby lake and saw what appeared to be a child lying in the water.

He took off his coat and ran into the lake, but found that it was a dummy in the water, not a child.

He turned to see the man who had approached him looking in the pockets of the coat. He came out of the water to confront the offender, who suddenly sprayed liquid from a washing up bottle into the man’s face, before dropping the coat and running away with the woman.

The female friend and the dog had waited nearby, out of sight of the lake.

Some tobacco and around £100 in cash were stolen from the man’s coat.

Descriptions of the offending couple have been given to police.

The man is described as:

• White
• Aged in his early 20s
• 5ft 7ins tall
• Wearing a beanie hat and a zip up top

The woman is described as:

• White
• Aged in her early 30s
• 5ft 2ins tall
• Short brown hair cut in a bob style
• Wearing a light blue hooded jumper

Detective Constable Chris Dinenage said, “This is a rare and unique incident that has happened in a well used recreational area of Portsmouth. The method used by the offenders is quite sickening and the victim acted in good faith to assist a seemingly helpless member of public.

“We are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the man or woman carrying the dummy child prior to the incident or if they saw the incident taking place.”