UPDATE: Police hunting Horsham robber armed with baton

Police said a man armed with a baton approached another man in Horsham park at around 4pm on Monday (February 29).

The 53-year-old, from Billingshurst, was sitting on a bench near the skate park, at the end of the alley running between the fire station and Horsham Hospital in Hurst Road, and was confronted by the suspect, demanding he hand over his watch.

Officers said he threatened to harm the victim before kicking him and running off in the direction of the park’s duck pond. He then ran towards Horsham station, police added.

At 4.30pm a 17-year-old student had her handbag stolen after she was pushed into a hedge by a man in the alley near the fire station.

The bag, containing cash, college work and personal possessions, was taken by the suspect and he ran off in the direction of Horsham station, via Hurst Road.

Police stopped a train to look for the suspect but he was not located.

Officers are linking the two incidents.

Detective Constable Adam Tidy said: “Both these incidents occurred in a busy area in daylight, and so there is a good chance that other people may have seen what occurred or noticed the suspect running away.

“We believe the incidents are linked and may have been perpetrated by the same suspect - a man of Middle Eastern appearance, in his late teens or early 20s, wearing a dark coloured hooded anorak and jogging bottoms and with a camouflage-patterned bandana over his face.

“One victim also described him as being 5’11”, slim, with short black curly hair and carrying a bright yellow bag.”

Anyone with any information is asked to email [email protected] or phone 101, quoting serial 962 of 29/02 (attempted robbery) or 971 of 29/02 (robbery).

Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 ( www.crimestoppers-uk.org).

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