Man arrested for allegedly slapping pensioners who sneezed in Carlisle city centre

Five elderly men and women say they were assaulted by a man in public

Five people contacted Cumbria police to report that they were assaulted (Getty Images)

A man has been arrested for allegedly slapping elderly people for sneezing while out in public.

Five people contacted Cumbria police to report that they were assaulted by a man in Carlisle city centre between February and March this year.

The force released a CCTV image of a man they wanted to speak with in connection with the incident.

A 65-year-old woman was the first to report a man allegedly slapping her on the head. An 82-year-old woman, 77-year-old woman, 67-year-old man and 65-year-old woman later came forward with reports of similar incidents.

The attacks all took place around midday. A 49-year-old man from Carlisle was arrested in connection with the assaults on Friday and is currently helping officers with their enquiries.

Anyone with information into the assaults is asked to contact police on 101 and ask to speak to PC Lori Tallantire or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.