Detectives are appealing for witnesses after bike-riding robbers reportedly slashed a man’s face with a knife in Bermondsey.
The victim, who is in his 40s, was reportedly attacked on a towpath leading from Rotherhithe New Road to South Bermondsey Station on Wednesday, December 6.
Police said it was a failed phone snatching. The man has been left with life-changing injuries.
The Met Police said the attack took place at around 5.10pm after the victim was approached by two men on the same bicycle.
The suspects pulled him to the ground and slashed his face with a knife twice in an attempt to steal his phone, police said.
When they couldn’t easily grab his phone, they reportedly cycled off towards Stubbs Drive empty-handed.
The two men were wearing dark clothing and are described as being white and aged between eighteen and twenty.
The victim sustained cuts to his face and was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital.
Detective Sergeant Quartly said: “This was a violent and frightening attack on an innocent person.
“The suspects did not achieve their aim of stealing his phone but the pain they caused him physically and mentally is significant and it will take him time for him to recover from this attack.
“We are determined to crack down on crimes like these to make our streets safer.
“The incident happened near a station at a busy time of day and so we think it’s likely that someone will have seen something or have some information that could help our investigation. If you know anything at all we urge you to get in touch.”
Anyone with information or any witnesses can contact police via 101 or @MetCC on X, quoting CAD 5048/6Dec.