A knife-wielding robber slashed two men on a city canal towpath.
The men were walking along the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal in Erdington, close to the Forge Lane Bridge, when the attacker came out from a tunnel and pulled a knife on them.
It happened shortly before 7pm on Monday, April 15.
As the victims were walking to Asda Minworth, the knifeman, armed with a flip and Stanley knives, demanded their ‘phones and wallets’. T
They tried to run away but were grabbed and slashed on their hands as they tried to defend themselves.
One of the victim’s posted on Facebook said: “I was walking with my friend by the canals near Castle Vale towards the ASDA Minworth to do a shop, thinking we were OK because we were together and it was daylight.
“A guy came from under one of the tunnels and pulled a knife on us asking for our phones and wallets.
"We tried to run away but I had my rucksack on and he grabbed it to pull me back. We tried to defend ourselves before throwing him money because he kept jabbing at us and said he was going to slit our throats.
“I’ve got cuts on my hands from trying to hold his knife. He was bleeding and so were we.
“Be careful and always be vigilant.”
The second victim said: “The man came out at us from under Hanson’s Bridge with a flip knife and a Stanley blade.
“He was a white man, anywhere between 30 and 40 but very gaunt and skinny, around 5’ 10’’ tall and bald.”
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: “We are investigating after two men were injured and had their property stolen on a canal towpath in the Erdington area of Birmingham on Monday (April 15) just before 7pm.
“The men were walking along the canal near to Forge Lane Bridge when they were approached by a man with a knife who threatened them and slashed their hands as they tried to escape. He managed to get away with some cash.
“Enquiries continue and anyone with information is asked to contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight, or call 101 anytime quoting log number 2146 of 15 April.
“Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
