A man has been hospitalised with facial injuries after he was punched and kicked during a violent assault by three balaclava-wearing suspects in south London.
The 40-year-old was attacked and had his phone stolen in the early hours of Sunday in Dagmar Road, Camberwell.
Emergency services were called to the scene just before 1am and were told the man had been targeted a short time earlier.
The victim was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.
The suspects are all described as Black and were wearing balaclavas, Metropolitan Police said. They were last seen heading in the direction of Peckham Road.
Detectives would like to speak with anyone who saw or heard the attack.
Muggings, or thefts from a person, have risen by almost 70 percent in the last 12 months in the capital, with more than 57,000 incidents recorded between August 2021 and August 2022.
There have been almost twice as many muggings so far this year than the same period, between January and August, in 2020.
Thieves are often after expensive items such as luxury watches, jewellery and phones. Hotspots are often travel hubs such as train, tube or bus stations where criminals target people who look distracted, Metroplitan Police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference CAD 348/23Oct. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
