Hampshire Constabulary

Police in Portsmouth are appealing for information and issuing a warning to the public after three incidents took place within one hour yesterday (Monday, March 9).

At 8.30pm a 26-year-old man was riding down Clarendon Street when he was approached from behind by two youths who pulled him from his bike. They demanded the man give them his rucksack, which the man refused.

An altercation ensued, during which the rucksack was pulled open, and one of the offenders took a mobile phone charger from it. He then swung it at the man, hitting him on the chin, before the pair ran away, taking the charger with them.

The man went to Queen Alexandra hospital for treatment to the cut on his chin.

The first youth is described as:

• White
• Aged between 15 and 17 years old
• Slim build
• Between 5ft 7ins and 5ft 11ins tall
• Short blond hair, worn in a centre parting and gelled down
• Wearing a blue jumper with a white t shirt underneath, and blue jeans

The second youth is described as:

• White
• Aged between 15 and 17 years old
• Slightly taller than the first youth
• Blond hair
• Wearing a blue jacket and jeans

At 9pm, a 25-year-old man was walking through the park in Bridgeside Close, near to Holbrook Road, carrying a rucksack and a carrier bag of shopping.

He was approached by a group of three men, who pushed and kicked him to the floor. They asked for money and one of the group took his wallet from his pocket, before they all ran away.

The man, who is originally from France, sustained minor cuts and bruising as a result of the attack. His wallet was made of black leather and has a small horse’s head embossed on it. Inside the wallet was between £20 and £25 in cash, as well as bank cards, ID cards and a driving license.

The man only saw one of the group properly, and he is described as:

• White
• 17 or 18 years old
• Around 5ft 7ins tall
• Thin face, with freckles
• Blond hair
• Wearing an Adidas tracksuit that was mainly white and had some light blue areas on it

At 9.30pm, a 21-year-old woman was walking down Fratton Road, near to Newcombe Road and the Electric Arms pub, on her way home from work.A man came past her and grabbed her handbag as he did so.

The woman kept hold of the bag, struggling with the man. At the same time another man was stood behind her and pulled at her belt, causing her to stop and stand still. One of the men then attempted to punch the woman in the face, an action she blocked by raising one of her arms.

The woman had not let go of the bag, and at this point both men simply ran away.

The first man is described as:

• White
• Between 15 and 19 years old
• Slim build
• 5ft 6ins tall
• Acne on his face
• Mousey or dark brown hair, which was covered by a baseball cap
• Wearing a dark blue tracksuit top, which had a strip across the middle and yellow piping on either side of the stripe

The second man is described as:

• White
• Around 5ft 5ins tall
• Slim build
• Short blond hair, work in a spiky style
• Wearing a dark suit with a white t-shirt that had graffiti style writing on the front

The offenders did not take the bag, and the woman was shaken up but uninjured.

Detective Constable Mel Sinclair said, “These incidents all took place in a very short space of time and within a fairly short distance, and we are looking into the possibility that they may be linked.

“I am appealing to anyone who may have seen or heard anything to contact me as soon as possible. We are carrying out a number of enquiries in these areas to establish the identities of the offenders and even the smallest piece of information may be very important.

“I would advise people to stick to well lit areas when walking at night time and not to walk or travel alone wherever possible.”