POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was robbed in a York street by a gang of four men.

The 19-year-old victim was on a two-day working visit to York when he was robbed early yesterday morning.

He was walking in the Lawrence Street area, near the Jet service station, at about 3am, when he was approached by four men wearing hooded tops.

One of the suspects asked the victim for cigarettes, and when he refused to give him any, he was grabbed from behind by the other three suspects and pulled to the pavement.

The victim, who comes from Worcestershire, was held down and threatened while his cigarettes, mobile phone and wallet were forcibly removed from his trouser pockets. The wallet contained cash, a bank card and a provisional driving licence. The muggers then made off in an unknown direction.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The victim, who was shaken and upset but uninjured, then went to the nearby Jet service station to report the incident to the police.

"He was only able to give the police a description of the suspect who asked for cigarettes, as the others remained behind him."

The identified suspect was described as white, aged about 23, about 5ft 8ins tall and of stocky build.

He was wearing a grey hooded top with the hood up, dark jeans and white trainers.

He also had shaved slashes in one of his eyebrows.

Anyone who may have witnessed the robbery or saw a group of four men wearing hooded tops in the Lawrence Street area at around 3am, should phone York CID immediately on 0845 60 60 247.