Man left with fractured ankle after robber pulls knife on him but leaves empty handed

A 38-year-old man was walking along Portsmouth Road, Southampton, from the direction of the Co-op in Woolston towards Hamble between 8.40pm and 8.55pm on August 11 when he was approached by a man who took a knife out his bag.

The man demanded the victim hand over his property and went to grab his target. ‘The victim attempted to flee across the road, which resulted in him falling and fracturing his ankle,’ a police statement said.

A passerby saw what happened and went to help the victim. The offender ran away, empty handed, along Portsmouth Road in the direction of Hamble.

The offender is described as white, 6ft 2in, with short brown hair and a short, light coloured beard. He was carrying a grey satchel with a Nike tick on it and wearing grey Nike tracksuit bottoms and jacket, with a grey Nike t-shirt under the jacket.

Police Staff Investigator Ryan Mitchell, said: ‘There was a lot of traffic along Portsmouth Road at the time of the incident and it is likely a number of people witnessed what happened. Were you in the area at the time? Were you driving along Portsmouth Road, and do you have a dash cam in your vehicle?

‘If you have any information regarding this incident, please call us as soon as possible.’

Contact us on 101 or report online, quoting 44220325603. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111 or their website.