A man in his 70s required hospital treatment after he was the victim of an unprovoked attack in Stevenage yesterday.

The victim was walking in the underpass alongside King George V park in Fairlands Way when he was approached from behind by an offender at about 5.45pm.

The man hit his elderly victim on the side of the face before pushing him to the ground and making off – he suffered an injury to his lip which needed to be treated at hospital.

PC Andrew Plant, who is investigating, said: “This was a nasty and unprovoked attack on a man who was just going about his daily business.

“We are doing all we can to trace the person responsible and would urge anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed what happened, or saw someone running from the scene, to please get in touch with us.”

If you have any information that may assist the investigation, contact police via the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference E1/18/678, or report information online at www.herts.police.uk/report.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or through their anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will never need to go to court.