A GANG of four teenagers are believed to be responsible for a series of muggings and attempted robberies in a North-East town.

Police are appealing for information after four incidents in the Middlesbrough area which are believed to be linked.

The first robbery took place on King Edward Road in the town on Saturday, April 24 between 12.15 and 12.50am. A 20-year-old man was robbed of £15 cash and a pizza.

The second incident was an attempted mugging of a 15-year-old male as he walked home through Albert Park on Saturday, April 24 at about 5pm.

Then, on Monday April 26, just before 6pm, there was another attempted robbery on a 17-year-old female student at the junction of Orchard Road and Phillips Avenue.

Finally, a 30-year-old man was mugged for his mobile phone in the Park Road South/Southwell Road area between 1.15am and 1.45am on May 4.

Police said on some occasions there were four teenage males carrying out the robberies but on others two. However, the descriptions are always similar.

These are: *A white male aged 16 or 17, about 5ft 9 tall with a pale complexion and ginger hair, wearing a black baseball cap with silver lines on the right side and a black Nike air tracksuit with white Nike trainers.

*An 18-year-old white male, 5ft 10 tall and of thin build with a spotty face, wearing a black Nike air TN baseball cap and a black Y3 tracksuit with silver stripes down the sides of the arms and legs.

*Another 16-17 year old male, 6ft tall and of a stockier build, with blond hair and wearing a white tracksuit and a white baseball cap.

*An 18-year-old white male, 5ft 8 tall of thin build, wearing plain dark jeans and a multi coloured Bench top with diagonal lines in red, yellow and blue with a white cap with the letters NY on it.

DC Jolene Morrison and DC Kevin Appleby, of Middlesbrough CID, said: "The ginger haired suspect is sometimes described as wearing thin rimmed reading glasses but on other occasions he does not wear these.

"It is possible that the male suspect with ginger hair may have sustained injuries to his face from the incident that occurred in Albert Park on Saturday 24th April 2010.

"Incidents of this type are very rare. However we would urge anyone with information on who these suspects could be to get in touch as quickly as possible."

Contact DC Morrison or DC Kevin Appleby at Middlesbrough Police on 01642-303126 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.