POLICE are appealing for help after an attemepted knife-point robbery of a lorry driver in a layby in Malpas.

The incident happened between 9.40am and 10.25am on Friday 1st November, on the southbound side of the A4042 Heidenheim Drive in the Malpas area of Newport.

The 69-year-old man driving the HGV was parked in the layby when he was approached by a man who knocked on his window claiming his lorry had a flat tyre. The driver reported leaving the cab to investigate at which point the man demanded the keys to the lorry. The driver refused to hand over the keys and in the ensuing scuffle the victim suffered superficial cuts his forehead, abdomen and right forearm from a craft knife.

His lorry was a Scania Rigid lorry with ‘Co-Operative’ markings on it.

The victim reported fighting off the robber who fled empty handed with another man, suspected of acting as a lookout, in a light coloured saloon/ hatchback Volkswagen car towards the Grove Park Roundabout.

The victim described his assailant as follows: a White male, around 5’8’’ tall, thick set, stocky build, around 30 years of age, with a ruddy appearance. He was wearing greyish coloured overalls with a black coloured bomber jacket over the top and a dark coloured woolly hat around his face.

The second man, who is alleged to have been acting as a lookout, was described as a white male, around 20 years old, with a very thin long face which was gaunt in appearance. He was approximately 6’0’’ in height, with short dark hair, wearing blue jeans, white trainers and a blue anorak.

They are both described as having Bristol accents.

Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious before during or following the alleged robbery, or has any information, is asked to ring Gwent Police on 101 quoting log 210 (01/11/13).