Sussex Police are investigating two separate attacks involving two women who were both punched and one of them robbed of her bag by two different men.
Officers are seeking witnesses to the incidents who may have been walking or driving in the Coombe Road area yesterday (27 November) morning around 7am.
A 22-year-old woman was grabbed, pulled to the ground and punched, and in a separate assault occurring shortly after, a 24-year-old woman was punched and robbed of her bag.
Detective Inspector Simon Morgan said: “We are treating [these incidents] as robberies and both women suffered injuries and one needed to be checked over at hospital.”
The police have grounds to believe these incidents occurring on Tuesday morning are linked despite the slight differences in descriptions, as the nature of the attacks is similar.
DI Morgan also said the police would particularly like to speak to motorists on Coombe Road who might have seen the victim but not realised what was happening and didn’t stop.
A 7am, the 22-year-old woman walking from Fitch Drive into Willingdon Road was approached by a man walking in the opposite direction, who grabbed her and pulled her to the ground before he punched her several times.
The man then ran off back to the path through the woods leading to Fitch Drive.
Shortly after 7am, the 24-year-old woman walking near to the Meadow View Community Centre was approached by a man asking for a cigarette, and she said she didn’t smoke.
After trying to talk to her again in Coombe Road, near to the school, he punched her, grabbed her bag, and told her he had a knife.
He grabbed her hand and walked a short distance with her before she managed to flag down a passing car, while the man left the scene with her yellow bag.
The first man is reported as 5′ 7″, thin build wearing a dark jacket, with the hood up and a scarf pulled up around his face. He was wearing black gloves with plastic pads on the fingers.
The second man is believed to be a similar height and black, wearing a green zipped up hoody with the hood up and dark baggy trousers. He wore new, hi-top style trainers.
Police would like to speak to anyone who walks, lives, or was driving in the Coombe Road area, and who may have seen anything to help with their investigation.
Anyone with information or who witnessed anything is asked to contact Sussex Police online, quoting Operation Kinloss.
