A MAN was attacked by two axe-wielding robbers for the sake of his phone and a packet of cigarettes.

The victim was left with deep cuts on his face, head and hands after the thugs slashed him outside Pitsea railway station.

He managed to flee to a near by Dominos Pizza, while the robbers escaped in a dark-coloured Ford Fiesta.

It is thought the victim, who asked not to be named, was targeted at random as he made his way home from watching the football with friends.

The man, aged in his thirties, said: “I am so lucky I had my hat on, because it cushioned the blows to my head. Otherwise I am sure I would be in a coffin.

“These people need catching as soon as possible before someone is killed.”

The victim had just got off the train at Pitsea and was walking along Station Lane, near to the underpass, when he was approached by two men – each carrying an axe.

He said: “One of them said ‘give us your stuff’.

“I said, ‘no, I have not got anything for you to take’ and they said, ‘give us it now and they started swearing at me’.”

The victim managed to grab an axe being held by one of the robbers to defend himself.

He added: “The other boy slashed me about three or four times.

“I put my hand in my pocket and threw my phone, fags and lighter at them.

“One of the robbers bent down to look at what I had given them while the other started chasing me.

“I think he wanted to get his hit in. He wanted to get his pound of flesh.”

The man ran into Dominos Pizza and the attackers got into a Fiesta and escaped.

Staff at the pizza shop called the emergency services and the victim was taken to hospital.

The robbers took the man’s black and silver Samsung Galaxy 1900 GT phone.

One attacker was a skinny black man, aged about 26 or 27, and about 6ft 3ins tall.

He had short black hair, a goatee beard and wore a grey, cotton Nike tracksuit and Nike trainers.

The second suspect was a white man, with olive skin, aged about 26, about 5ft 9ins tall and of medium build.

He wore a black Nike jacket, black jogging bottoms, Nike trainers and a black hat.

Inside the getaway car was a woman, aged in her twenties, with dark hair pulled in to a bun. The getaway driver was a white man with olive skin, stubbly beard and wearing a hat.

Anyone with information about the incident, which happened at 7.50pm on Sunday, March 1, can call Det Con Robert Lewis on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.