Cheshire Police received four reports of robbery or attempted robbery between Monday, June 9, and Monday, June 16.

On Monday, June 9, between 11.16pm and 11.24pm, a 17-year-old boy was riding his bike along Hooton Road, when he was followed by a blue car.

He continued onto Wirral Way, but the car followed him, before the occupants assaulted him and stole the bike.

On Friday, June 13, between 5pm and 5.17pm, a 14-year-old boy reported his bike had been stolen from where he had left it in Hinderton Road, Neston.

It was later recovered by the teenager reported seeing a group of youths acting suspiciously in the area.

On Friday, June 13, at around 5.25pm, four males dressed in black, wearing balaclavas and believed to be armed with a knife, stole a bike from a 15-year-old boy near to Hadlow Railway Station, Willaston.

The bike was later recovered.

In relation to this incident, an 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of a bladed article, while a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

They have been released on bail pending further inquiries.

On Monday, June 16, police received reports of an attempted robbery along the Wirral Country Trail in the direction of Neston, close to the junction with Damhead Lane.

A man had been approached by three male suspects who assaulted him and attempted to steal his bike before the victim managed to leave the scene.

Detective Sergeant Tom Philpotts said: “Sadly, we have seen an increase in this type of offence, and we would like to reassure the local community that we are doing all we can to tackle this behaviour and find those responsible.

“We would like to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed any of the incidents to get in touch with us.

“The same goes for anyone who may have dashcam, CCTV, or video doorbell footage which could aid our investigation.

“We would also urge anyone with any information about these incidents or similar incidents to contact us.

“You can report information to Cheshire Police via cheshire.police.uk/tell-us or call 101, quoting 25000495942.”