A SMALL group of men targeted a man wearing a Rolex watch on Friday morning. 

The group approached the victim, hit him in the head and stole his watch and iPhone sometime between 5am and 6am on Friday, March 15.

This incident took place near the Under the Prom nightclub and Hatchards bookshop in The Promenade, Cheltenham. 

The victim, a man aged 37, sustained a black eye and bruising on his face.

Banking apps on the victim's phone were later used to transfer thousands of pounds to another account. 

A similar incident, which took place near the Home and Botanic Nightclub on St George's Road, was reported on the same morning.

A group of three men, one who had a knife, approached a 22-year-old man and asked him for his phone.

The victim handed his phone over and the group left.

Police are keen to hear from anyone else who may have had their phone stolen in similar circumstances in Cheltenham that day and who have not yet reported this to police.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed anything or has any information which could assist the ongoing investigation.

Information can be provided to the police online by completing a form on Gloucestershire police's website quoting incident 97 of March 15.