Police hunt man after boy threatened with hammer in East Kilbride

Police are hunting a man who threatened a boy with a hammer and stole his mobile phone as he walked home from school.

Two boys, aged 12 and 13, were walking in an underpass in St Lawrence Park near to Falkland Drive, East Kilbride, at around 4.15pm on Thursday.

A man carrying a hammer approached them, kicked the older boy and then threatened the 12-year-old boy to hand over his iPhone.

He then ran off through the park.

The suspect is white, between 16 and 19 and around 5ft 7in.

He was wearing a grey Adidas hooded top, dark jogging bottoms and had a balaclava covering his face.

Neither of the boys were injured during the incident but police described it as "terrifying".

Constable Louise Bern said: "Thankfully neither of the boys, who were on their way home from school, were injured but it was terrifying for them to experience.

"Although the man did not brandish the hammer at the boys, for him even to be carrying it and to threaten the children is shocking.

"St Lawrence Park and Falkland Drive are residential and officers have been in the area carrying out door-to-door enquiries as well as checking CCTV, however, we would still like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident.

"It's possible that someone may have seen the suspect hanging about the area or running off.

"If you did, or if you have any information that will assist our enquiry, then please contact the Community Investigation Unit at Rutherglen Police Station via 101 and quote incident number 2494/27.

"Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted in confidence on 0800 555 111.

"Additional patrols are in the area. Should you have any concerns or information, then please speak to those officers as well."