Volunteer helping to clean up streets in Warwick district attacked and robbed

The volunteer was a member of the group known as Leam Trash Friends.

The group helps to keep the street clean and they bag and collect up rubbish as well as clearing up needles left on the streets.

Volunteers have been conducting clean-ups and regular inspections across the district over the last six weeks and over that time they have found more than 1,400 needles.

This afternoon a post was put on the Leam Trash Friends Facebook page saying that one of their volunteers was "violently assualted and robbed" when they conducting a regular inspection last night.

A spokesperson from Leam Trash Friends said: " It is with great sadness that we must announce our inspections and collections must only be conducted in pairs or larger groups, this significantly hinders our ability to respond and react to needle reports and regular hotspot checks. "Furthermore unless we raise adequate funding for our insurance costs, we may have to take the drastic decision to postpone our works altogether. "It is despicable that one of our colleagues was attacked in such a manner to render them unconscious when they where simply helping to keep our district a safe place to live.

"Whilst what was taken was of little financial value, the sentimental value is significant as it was one of few things our colleague has after their mother sadly passed away earlier this year. "We will continue our works however they will be limited and restricted to protect our colleagues as much as possible. "

A spokesperson from Warwickshire Police said: "We were called at 8.32pm last night (Wednesday February 20) to a report of an assault on Satchwell Place, Leamington .

"It's reported a man in his twenties was assaulted in an alleyway.

"If anyone witnessed the incident, please call Warwickshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 413 of February 20."