A ROBBER armed with a knife threatened two women and snatched a handbag from one of them as they returned home in the early hours today.

The attacker approached the two women on a cycle as they walked along Dodsworth Avenue, Heworth, at about half past midnight.

When he demanded money, the pair told him to go away. But he pulled a knife with a four or five inch blade out of his pocket and showed it to them.

The man then made a lunge for one of the women's bags, but when she stopped him taking it he stole the other woman's bag instead. A spokeswoman for York Police said the women, who were "shaken and angry" after the attack, had immediately called the police. Despite a search, the man could not be found.

The attacker is described as a white, aged between 15 and 17 years old. He was between 5ft 7in and 5ft 10in and wore a dark-coloured hooded top and a baseball cap.

Anyone with information about the incident should phone York Police on 01904 631321.

Updated: 14:25 Friday, June 27, 2003