POLICE are urgently seeking witnesses after two men callously robbed a 12-year-old boy of his bus fare in a street in Saltash on Monday afternoon.
The young boy had just left school when the incident occurred, in broad daylight.
He was waiting for a bus to Plymouth at a bus stop in St Stephen's Road when he was approached by the two robbers. Detectives, who wish to track down the youths responsible as soon as possible, say that one put his hand over the frightened youngster's mouth, and then dragged his hands behind his back, allowing the other to search through his pockets.
They found his £1 bus money, and took that, before running off.
After hearing of the robbery head of year seven at Saltash community school, Peter Morgan, said he would urge pupils to be aware of what had happened, and report anything untoward they see.
A police spokesman, who asked anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward, said: 'It doesn't matter if they stole £1 or £100, the crime is still the same.' He added that the boy was very shaken.
The incident occurred between 3-3.20pm. The first man is described as white, aged about 18, 5'10"-6' tall, of normal build with brown short hair. He was wearing a blue sweatshirt, dark baggy jeans and maybe training shoes.
The spokesman explained that the second was thought to be of a similar age, but of shorter build, with a few acne spots to his face. He is also more distinctive, with blond, spiky, gelled hair and may have had a nose ring in his right nostril, and a bit of stubble on his top lip. He was wearing a red sweatshirt with Reebok on it, and tight fitting blue jeans with holes in the knees. He was also wearing black trainers, but the right shoe of these was worn through so much that the man's big toe, covered by a dirty white sock, was showing through.
Anyone who did witness the incident, or knows anything about it, should contact DC Steve Williams of Saltash CID on 0990 777 444 or the confidential Crimestoppers number of 0880 555 111.