A disabled man was knocked out and robbed as he strolled along the sea wall on Canvey.

The 41-year-old had walked along Eastern Esplanade, by the Labworth Cafe and around the path under the sea wall at the back of Thorney Bay Beach Camp.

He heard the whirring sound of somebody on roller skates or on a mountain bike behind him and then felt a blow to his lower back.

The thump was all the more painful because the man was still suffering the effects of broken legs and a broken back which happened in a road crash in 1989.

Det Con Alan Pritchard, from Rayleigh CID, said: "The man put his hands out to break his fall but fell against the sea wall. Due to his previous injuries, he was in agony.

"As a result of the pain, he lost consciousness. We believe he came round about 30 minutes later to find £50 was missing from his wallet."

Hindered by his injuries, the confused and dazed man staggered home to Furtherwick Road and called police.

Police today said they were following two lines of inquiry.

Det Con Pritchard said: "The man won some money at the arcade on the seafront before he went for a walk and it may well be that someone was watching and followed him.

"Alternatively, the person on skates or a bike may have accidentally collided with the man and someone else could have come along and robbed him.

"It all happened in quite an isolated area at the back of the Thorney Bay beach camp."

Anyone who knows anything about the attack should contact Canvey CID on 01268 511212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

By GERALDINE O'CONNOR

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.