Police are investigating two robberies when men were approached by groups of youths who punched or threatened their victims with a broken bottle.

In the first incident at 10.10 p.m. on Thursday, Police were called to Pitts Bay Road, in Pembroke, when two men, aged 41 and 42 and both tourists from the UK, were approached by three young black men while another group of men stood nearby.

According to the Police, the three men demanded cash from the visitors with one of the group brandishing a broken beer bottle.

The victims handed over some cash and the suspects escaped, running east on Pitts Bay Road. One of the suspects is 5ft 2 ins and of slim build, one is 5ft 10 ins and of average build and the third was over 6ft of stocky build.

In the second incident, Police were called to a robbery on Park Road, also in Pembroke, at 10.45 p.m., also on Thursday.

The victim told officers that 15 minutes earlier he had been walking on Park Road when he was approached by a group of five young men. One of them demanded cash and punched him in the face before taking a black iPod and a green shoulder bag with a Motorola cell phone, an Easy Link Internet receiver and personal items inside.

All the group then ran off. The main suspect is 6ft with no facial hair, wearing a red jacket with a grey hood and dark coloured long pants. Police also said that between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Thursday there were four robberies within in the City of Hamilton all of which are being linked.

A Police spokesman said: "Three men have been arrested in connection with these matters; a 23-year-old Devonshire man, an 18-year-old Warwick man and a 15-year-old boy from Devonshire."

Any witnesses to these incidents or anyone with any information to contact the Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit on 295-0011.