Police are appealing for information after a man stole a woman’s handbag, then produced a knife when she ran after him late on Friday (November 11) night.

The woman, in her mid-20s, was walking on Wilton Street in Middlesbrough Town Centre at around 11.15pm on Friday when she was robbed by an unknown man.

The man approached her from behind and grabbed her handbag before running off.

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She began to chase the suspect but stopped when he produced a knife. He then ran off towards Linthorpe Road.

The woman’s handbag, a black Chanel bag, had her phone, an iPhone 14, and purse with cash in it at the time.

Now police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or have CCTV or dashcam footage, to come forward to identify the man.

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He is described as white, around 5ft8 tall, clean shaved and wearing back clothing with a red baseball cap.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police added: “Anyone with information/dashcam or CCTV footage is asked to contact Cleveland Police on the 101 number quoting ref 204518.

“If you have information but don’t want to speak to police, you could pass information anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by phoning them on 0800 555 111.”

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