Police are asking the public to help them trace a robber who hit his victim around the head several times before stealing his wallet.

An Essex Police spokesman said the 22-year-old victim had been so badly hurt in the attack on January 2 that he had only just recovered enough to speak to police, having received hospital treatment.

The man had been walking in Leigh between 11.30pm and 12am and remembers falling to the ground at the junction of West Road and London Road, opposite a car dealership.

He was hit several times around the back of his head, before his attacker made of with his wallet, which contained about £70 in cash.

The man who attacked him was white and wore a light-coloured jogging top with a hood.

The victim remembers seeing two people on foor and a car, thought to be a Ford Fiesta, which stopped nearby.

Police are anxious to contact these people as they may have witnessed the crime.

Anyone with information should contact Sally Barrett at Leigh police station on 01702 471212

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