A GANG of three teenagers armed with a meat cleaver, an axe and a knife are being hunted over two incidents in the space of an hour.

The three, thought to be aged 16 or 17, are thought to be responsible for two incidents in Newcastle on Wednesday night in which the victims were threatened.

In the first case, two men aged 19 and 20 were walking on Wood Grove in Scotswood Dene between 6.30pm and 7pm when they were threatened.

The gang stole a mobile phone and left towards Denton Road, while their victims ran off.

Between 7pm and 7.30pm, a 14-year-old boy was walking in the underpass near to the McDonalds on West Denton Way when he dropped some money.

A group of three men were nearby and one picked the money up. When the boy asked for it back, he was threatened with a kitchen knife.

Officers believe the two offences could be linked and have asked for witnesses to call Northumbria Police on 101.