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Police are appealing for witnesses after a shop assistant was assaulted in Edinburgh.

The assault took place at around 5.30am on Marchmont Road, near to the junction of Marchmont Crescent on Saturday (July 14th).

It happened after a shop assistant from the Scotmid store on Marchmont Road challenged a man who had stolen items from the shop.

He followed the suspect out of the shop and down the road, where the assault took place.

The victim suffered a number of injuries, but did not require hospital treatment.

The suspect is described as white, 20 to 25 years, 5ft 11ins tall, muscular build, with short blond spiky hair and tribal tattoos on his forearm.

He was wearing a tight white T-shirt and jeans, and may have got into a silver car after the assault.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: 'There were a number of customers in the store at the time of the attack, and we are keen for them to come forward with information to help us track down the man responsible.

'We are also keen for anyone who witnessed the assault, or who was in Marchmont Road at the time and saw anything suspicious, to contact us.'