Police have issued pictures of two teenage girls who attacked a 12-year-old girl and stole her friend’s mobile phone.

The pair, aged about 16, viciously assaulted the schoolgirl, wrenching her to the ground by her hair and threatening to punch her if she did not hand over her phone.

The attack took place at the Arena tram stop at 3.30pm on March 31.

The 12-year-old victim was waiting for a tram at Sandilands when the two girls, who were standing next to her, tried to steal her phone from her blazer pocket.

When she asked them what they were doing, they told her they were only joking.

When the schoolgirl and her friend left the tram at the Arena stop, the girls walked up to them and demanded they hand over the phone before attacking their victim.

Her terrified friend, also aged 12 from Anerley, offered her phone to the attackers and they snatched it from her before running off.

PC Andy James, based at Addiscombe Road, said: “This was a frightening and intimidating ordeal for the victims, who at only 12-years-old had absolutely no chance of defending themselves against this pair.

"We have made local enquiries into this incident and would like to identify and speak to the two youths pictured in the CCTV images. If you recognise either of them, please get in touch.”

Anyone with any information about the incident or who recognises either of the youths pictured in the CCTV images is asked to contact BTP on Freefone 0800 40 50 40 quoting incident B8 LSA of 22/07/10 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.