A security guard was forced to jump into the water at the Newstead Hotel on Monday morning to escape a vicious robber who rained repeated punches on his head as he lay on the ground.

The attacker approached the 44-year-old Paget man at around 6 a.m. and suddenly punched him on the face. He continued punching the man as he was on the ground and stole his wallet.

Police said yesterday that the security guard was only able to escape by jumping into the water, and the thug then ran off.

The guard suffered bruising to his face and arms, but was able to give Police a description of his attacker.

Police said yesterday they could not rule out a connection between Monday morning's assault and the brutal robbery of a 68-year-old American tourist outside the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on Sunday night.

A Police spokesman said: "We cannot eliminate the possibility, but there is nothing concrete to suggest it at this moment."

Detectives from the Serious Crimes Unit are urging anyone who was near the hotel between 11 p.m. and 12 p.m. on Sunday to come forward.

The American suffered facial fractures after the thug pulled him from a public telephone box outside the hotel at 11.30 p.m. and smashed his face repeatedly on the pavement before robbing him of his wallet. The victim was in satisfactory condition in the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital last night.

Detectives want to speak to one member of the public who stopped to help the victim after the attack and called Police about the incident.

Police revealed last night that a second incident took place on Pitt's Bay Road close to the time of the attack on the US tourist where a person riding west along the road on an auxiliary cycle was accosted by a male on another cycle.

Police believe the incident may have been witnessed by the driver of car who was riding behind the two bikes.

Both the car driver and the person who reported the robbery are considered extremely important witnesses and are asked to contact Detective Chief Inspector Earl Kirby on 295 0011.