Ref. 75761-36A MAN has been slashed across the face by a robber because he didn't have any money.

Adrian Taylor, 20, had popped out for a walk on Sunday night when he was attacked in the railway station underpass by a masked man with what police believe was a knife.

Mr Taylor, who is unemployed and lives in a town centre hostel, said: "I had been in my room and just felt like a walk so I went out at about 10.30pm.

"I was walking down the underpass and walked up some steps leading up to the car park so I could light a cigarette because there was wind blowing through the underpass.

"I was listening to my headphones and I got a text so I started reading it."

Mr Taylor looked up and saw a man a few steps ahead of him.

He added: "I thought he looked a bit dodgy because he had his face covered with a scarf and his hood up.

"I took my headphones out and he asked me how much money I had on me. I said none and he asked what else I had.

"I said a packet of fags but that was all and that's when he hit me."

Initially, Adrian thought he had been punched in the head but realised he had been slashed when he saw the amount of blood coming from his wound.

"I looked down the stairs towards the underpass and realised blood was dripping on to the floor," he said.

"Then it started to hurt. I was quite shocked and I started walking back towards the hostel.

"When I got there the people that run the hostel called the police and an ambulance.

"They cleaned me up a bit and wanted me to go to hospital but I didn't want to."

Adrian described the person who attacked him as evil and says he is angry about what happened and wary about his attacker striking again.

The police say his wounds look as though they were inflicted by a knife.

Detective constable Andy Taylor said: "We believe these injuries are consistent with those caused by a knife.

Detective constable Sally Fellows, who is investigating the incident, said: "An attack like this is quite unusual.

"It was completely unnecessary to use that level of violence against somebody for no reason.

"The area where it happened is well lit and has CCTV so we are hoping the event will have been captured."

As the man's face and head were covered the only description the police have is that he had dark eyes and seemed physically fit.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the police on 01793 528111.

Diana Milne