A YOUNG boy wielding a knife slashed a man in a terrifying attack outside a Preston shop.

The 14-year-old mugger pounced on the man outside a chemists on Deepdale Road at around midnight on February 12. He slashed him across the hand when he refused to hand over cash. The boy was white, 5ft 8ins tall and had short dark hair. He was wearing a denim jacket, jeans, blue T-shirt and a black baseball cap.

And a woman suffered another terrifying ordeal after refusing to hand over cash to a mugger in another attack in the town.

The 23-year-old was set upon by a thug in broad daylight while walking on Moor Lane on February 7. He threw her to the floor and threatened to slit her throat after she pleaded with the man who demanded cash. The mugger, aged 23, then ran off towards the town centre. He was tall, white, of average build with a spotty complexion and short fair hair.

Two thieves stole a pair of personal CD players from a house in New Hall Lane, Preston on February 11 after conning the householder into opening the door. One man was white, 6ft tall, aged in his mid-20's with short dark hair and wore a green anorak. The other was 5ft 4ins, aged 16, with a spotty face and ginger hair.

On the same day a thief stole a £300 black Peugeot Mountain Bike from outside a house in Ingleborough Lane, Leyland, before riding off on it towards the town centre. The boy was white, aged 14, with black hair and was wearing a blue anorak and trousers.

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