THREE young men in the area were cut about the face in separate attacks at the weekend.

One 27-year-old man was walking his dog at 1.30am on Sunday when a thug in his 20s asked for money. When he refused he was pushed to the ground. The attacker then ran off but the victim chased him only for the man to turn and cut him with a craft knife. The incident happened on the path near the river the knife man then fled. He was 23 to 25 years old, 5ft 7ins with light brown hair, black Puffa jacket and blue jeans.

The following night at 9.15pm a 24-year-old was jabbed in the face with a broken beer bottle in the city by a teenager. The 16-year-old attacker was one of a gang of youths in the isolated road. He hit the victim over the head with the bottle before cutting him.

It's thought the youth was involved in another altercation minutes earlier outside McDonald's. He was 5ft 8ins, with short hair wearing an orange sweatshirt.

A third man was stabbed in broad daylight at Ovangle Road near Asda. The victim was 27 and was asked for change by a bearded robber. He refused the robber produced a black knife and cut him to the right eye before running off with a black wallet containing £42. The attacker was 5ft 8ins with brown collar length wavy hair and blue nylon polo neck jumper with a beard and moustache.

The victims were taken to the RLI where they were treated before being released.

Det Sgt Jim Duncan appealed for information: "These are very serious offences and we urge anyone who knows anything to come forward."

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