Police are hunting a man who carried out two terrifying knifepoint robberies just a few hundred yards apart.

The man, who wore a balaclava, threatened his two young victims with a knife, told them to empty their pockets and punched them in the face.

The attacks both took place in the Western Road area, near Braunstone Gate, in Leicester's West End in the early hours of Tuesday.

Police said they were shocked by the level of violence used.

The first victim, a 19-year-old who was attacked around 12.45am near the junction of Western Road and Braunstone Gate, said: "He came up from behind me, pulled a knife out and pushed me against the wall.

"He held the knife against my throat and said 'empty your pockets and give me your stuff, don't mess me about'.

"I gave him everything and he punched me in the face before he left. There was no need for him to punch me, I'd given him everything I had."

The victim gave the man his Sony Ericsson mobile phone, an Apple iPod Nano and a quantity of cash.

Less than two hours later, at approximately 2.30am, a 20-year-old man was targeted in an identical attack a few hundred yards along Western Road, in Briton Street.

Again, the attacker was wearing a balaclava and a hooded top.

He threatened his victim with a knife and punched him in the face before escaping with a Samsung 3050 mobile phone, a wallet containing various cards and a bunch of keys.

Officers at Hinckley Road police station believe the attacks were carried out by the same man. He is believed to be black and possibly in his early twenties.

Pc Janine Hardy said: "The descriptions of the suspects are very similar, as are the robberies, so we believe they are linked.

"Thankfully in both incidents the victims only received minor injuries but this would have still been a scary experience for them.

"Since the incidents we have been speaking to people and businesses in the area but are still looking for witnesses."

The second victim told officers he saw two men standing on Wilberforce Road, near to the Western Pub, just before the robbery.

Pc Hardy said: "If you are these men we would like you to contact us as you may have information that could be vital to our investigation."

If you have any information, contact Pc Hardy on 0116 222 2222.