Duo ambush dog walker in car with machete and try to seal his French bulldog in Rotherham

The incident happened in Briery Walk, Greasbrough in Rotherham, on Friday, September 2, at about 7.40pm.

The victim – a 28-year-old man – got into his car when an unknown man approached him, opened the passenger side door and attempted to steal his dog.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “The victim managed to prevent the pet from being taken, but it is then understood that a second man reached through the driver’s side window, took the victim’s car keys and threatened him with a machete.

"Both men then assaulted the 28-year-old before fleeing the scene in a black Seat Leon up Munsborough Rise.

“The victim suffered facial injuries during the robbery.”

One of the men is described as white, about 5ft 9ins tall and with a bald head and a large build.

The second man is described as white, of a large build, with short black hair and a short black beard.

The police spokesperson added: “Officers want to speak to anyone who may have information about what happened. Were you in the area at the time? Did you see or hear anything suspicious? Do you know who might be involved? Do you have CCTV or dashcam footage?

“If you can help, please contact us using our live chat, online portal or by calling 101 quoting incident number 961 of 2 September. You can access live chat and the online portal here.

“Dashcam or CCTV footage can be sent to our officers via [email protected] with the incident number in the subject line.

“Alternatively, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously. You can give information via their website – www.crimestoppers-uk.org – or by calling their UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111.”