Blind man attacked by 'cowards'

Mr Conway said the attack was over in a minute

A blind man who walks with a white stick has spoken of the "cowardly" attack on him by a gang of muggers.

Social worker Martin Conway, 40, was attacked after he got off a tram in Crumpsall, north Manchester, just before midnight on Friday.

His attackers told him they were armed with a knife and forced him to hand over his wallet.

Mr Conway said about the gang: "Where are you going with your lives that this is what you feel you have to do?"

He added: "If you are hanging around at the Metro station, you aren't living a great life."

Mr Conway, who is originally from Derry but lives in Manchester, said: "It is a sum of where they are at, we are not talking high rollers here."

'Vulnerable man'

He said the attack was over in a minute.

"I thought I was okay but suddenly a guy drew up beside me," Mr Conway said.

"He had obviously been following quietly. He moved in front of me and said, 'just give us your wallet mate'.

He added: "It was all very conversational, so much so that I thought they were joking. I actually asked him, 'you can't be serious?'

"He said he was and then ripped open the Velcro strip on my pocket and took out my wallet."

Pc Phil Sutcliffe, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "This was a cowardly attack on a vulnerable man. Though he was not injured he was shaken.

"We believe that somebody may have seen a group of men following Martin with his white stick and we would appeal for them to come forward."

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.