City knifeman threatens three people

8:09pm Wednesday 6th August 2008

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A knife-wielding attacker on a bicycle threatened three people in Oxford city centre last night, robbing a woman.

A man was threatened by the cyclist who carried what was described as a "sharp shiny object" in Holywell Street at about 10.20pm.

Ten minutes later, a woman was also targeted in Merton Street by the same knife-wielding man. He demanded her bag before fleeing with £70 in cash.

Finally, at just before 10.45pm, a second woman was threatened by the same man.

He did not produce a weapon and the woman had nothing to hand over, so he rode off.

He is described as white, in his late 30s to early 40s, between 5ft 9ins and 5ft 11ins tall, gaunt in appearance and very thin.

He has short, light brown, receding hair and stubble and was wearing black trousers, possibly with a camouflage pattern with a black jacket and riding an old-fashioned bike with a bag attached on the back.

PC Charlotte Dunford, of the Oxford Robbery Team, said: "These incidents occurred after dark, so the victims did not get a clear look at what this man was using to threaten them with.

"But we are concerned he may have been carrying a knife and we need to find him.

"There were still lots of people in the city centre at around 10.30pm last night. So we need to hear from anyone who was in the area of High Street at that time and may have seen this man or one of these incidents take place."

Anyone with information should contact police on 08458 505505 or speak anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.