Detective Senior Constable Nick De Ritter, of the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit, said the victim had assisted officers in producing the image.

Anyone with information about about someone fitting the description is requested to contact the Warrnambool police station of Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police have been conducting inquiries after the two men threatened an elderly woman with a knife at Gateway Plaza about 1.30pm on Saturday.

Detective Senior Constable De Ritter said the woman was returning to her car, in the front section of the car park beside Gateway Road, when she was approached by the men.

They produced a knife and demanded her handbag. 

He said the offenders took her bag and the keys to the car, which they then attempted to steal.

“A good Samaritan has then come up and intervened and both offenders have run off towards the Wanstead Street area,” Detective Senior Constable De Ritter said. 

He said the men crossed Gateway Road, into the Woolworths car park before running past the supermarket and down a Raglan Parade service lane towards Wanstead Street.   

A man who saw the incident chased the men across the road before losing sight of the pair.

Crime scene detectives cordoned off an area of the car park, near the main entrance, and conducted an examination of a late model Audi sedan for forensic evidence on Saturday afternoon.

Detective Senior Constable De Ritter said police had already received some information from the public through Crime Stoppers.