A 35-YEAR-old has been left shaken after he was robbed at knifepoint in Runcorn by men who made off with his shoulder bag and Samsung tablet.

Police patrols have been stepped up in the area since the incident on Sunday and detectives are urging for anyone with information to come forward.

The victim was walking alone from the direction of Asda on West Lane shortly before 6.30pm.

He had walked over the footbridge which crosses the Central Expressway when two males caught up to him on a footpath that runs between the busway and Runcorn Spur Road.

They pushed the victim into a hedge and tried to grab his shoulder bag.

He resisted and one of the men produced a knife and demanded that the victim hand over the bag.

Once they had the navy blue leather bag containing a black Samsung A6 tablet the offenders ran across the busway and onto Cotton Lane, before turning right in the direction of Halton Lodge Avenue.

They were both wearing similar North Face coats with the logo on the back, had brown eyes and their hoods up.

One man is described as around 5’ 10” tall with a stocky build and his North Face coat, which was possibly a bubble coat, was black.

The other was wearing a dark grey North Face coat with what looked like matching grey bottoms.

Detective constable, Daryl Gavin, said: “Thankfully the victim was not injured as a result of the incident but what happened has understandably left him extremely shaken up.

“We are determined to establish the identities of the offenders and make them face the consequences of their actions.

“Enquiries are ongoing and I urge anyone who was in the area and believes they may have seen the offenders, either before the robbery or as they were fleeing the area on foot, to contact the team here at Runcorn Police Station.

“The same goes for anyone who believes they may know who the offenders are or have CCTV or dashcam footage of them.

“We also want to speak to anyone who has seen, or been offered the chance to buy, a distinctive navy blue leather shoulder bag or a black Samsung A6 tablet since the incident occurred.”

Chief inspector, Sarah Heath, added: “I would like to reassure the community that this is believed to be an isolated incident and we have stepped up patrols in the area.

“We are committed to doing all that we can to tackle knife crime in Runcorn.

"It is an issue that we take extremely seriously and Runcorn Policing Unit will ensure that anyone found to be carrying a knife or committing a knife related offence in the town is brought to justice.

“But, the police cannot beat knife crime without the help of the community and we urge anyone with information about people who may be carrying knives to come forward and speak to us or Crimestoppers.”

Anyone with information or CCTV footage that may aid detectives with their investigation into this incident should call Cheshire Constabulary on 101, quoting IML 325036, give the details online or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Dashcam footage can be submitted online.