A MAN walking his dog has been asked to contact the police following two assaults in Worcester.

One victim encountered a group of three men, two of whom grabbed him as he walked by the canal in Westbury Street at 5pm on Saturday. The third man demanded cash.

The victim, who suffered minor injuries, handed over £45 and the robbers fled.

"I'm particularly keen to speak to a man walking his dog along the towpath, who passed the three men shortly before the attack happened," said Det Con Allen Webster of Worcester police.

He said the potential witness, and anyone else with information, could call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 if they were unwilling to approach the police on 01905 723888.

Two of the robbers, had very short, or "grade one", haircuts and all were white and in their 20s.

One wore a light blue cotton shirt and pale blue jeans and the second had a grey T-shirt and navy blue tracksuit.

The third man had sun-bleached, collar-length hair. He wore blue trousers and an orange T-shirt, with white hoops outlined in black stitching and a logo.

A second incident occurred at 1am on Sunday, when a man was walking through the city centre after a night shift.

He noticed two men by the alleyway near the car park in The Butts. As he continued to Croft Road car park, someone pulled him to the ground.

The victim looked up to see a man who demanded money. After a struggle, the would-be muggers fled empty-handed.

The attackers were white and in their 20s. One had short dark hair and wore dark trousers and a Hawaii-style shirt, with a "tribal band" on it.

The second was stocky with medium-brown hair. He wore a grey denim jacket and jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to call PC Lesley Stock on 01905 723888.