AN AMAZON delivery driver was hit over the head with a baton as three men tried to rob him of parcels from his van.

Police have appealed for information following the incident outside Waitrose in Parkstone on Friday April 2.

The victim had stopped his vehicle outside the supermarket in Richmond Road at around 11.30am and was standing outside it when he was approached by a man in a baseball cap who asked him for a cigarette.

As the victim went to get one, he saw two other men at the rear of the van. He went to confront them and saw that they were attempting to take a large bag of parcels from the vehicle. The victim was struck on the head with a white plastic baton.

The victim was able to grab the bag of parcels and two of the men made off towards Ashley Road, with the third heading in the opposite direction.

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Police were contacted later that day and the victim attended hospital for treatment to his head injury. He has since been released from hospital.

The man with the baseball cap is described as black, around five feet eleven inches tall and with a very round face. The other two men are both described as black and were wearing black coats.

Detective Sergeant Karen Penn, of Dorset Police’s Priority Crime Team, said: "We are carrying out a detailed investigation to identity the men responsible for this attempted robbery.

"I would urge anyone who witnessed and suspicious activity in the area, or who may have captured anything of relevance on home CCTV or dashcam footage, to please contact us.

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"I would also like to take this opportunity to urge delivery drivers to keep their doors locked wherever possible when they are not in their vehicles and to remain vigilant."

Information to Dorset Police on 101, quoting occurrence number 55210052140, or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.