Police previously released this CCTV footage of a man they wished to speak to in connection with the assaults . A man has been arrested over a string of assaults on elderly victims who were slapped after they sneezed in public . Five women and one man , aged from 65 to 82 , complained to police that they had been slapped while sneezing in Carlisle city centre in the past month . Earlier this week police released CCTV footage of a man wanted in connection to the assaults after the elderly shoppers were left feeling 'confused and upset ' after being hit . A spokesman for Cumbria Police said : 'Police in Carlisle have arrested a man in connection with assaults that occurred in the city centre on elderly members of the public who had sneezed . The spokesman said the 49-year-old was 'currently helping officers with their enquiries ' . Police were informed about the first attack by witnesses and later released CCTV footage of a man thought to be in his mid-to-late 50s wearing a plush , tweed jacket . A week ago , shoppers in Carlisle said they were concerned by the eccentric 's behaviour . Nicola Dawson , 48 , a dental receptionist , said : ' I have come here shopping on my day off and actually have a cold . 'If anyone smacked me for sneezing I would smack them back . 'If anyone saw someone do something like that I would be surprised if they did not do something as you would n't stand for it if you witnessed it . ' Trainee shop assistant Gemma Prosser , 19 , added : 'We heard as it happened in the town centre and at first we just thought it was a bit weird . 'When you think about it , it is really awful because anyone can sneeze at any time and it 's not your fault . ' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Cumbria Police have arrested 49-year-old man in connection with assaults . String of elderly shoppers were slapped by a man after sneezing in public . Five women and one man were assaulted in Carlisle over the past month . Police previously released CCTV footage of a man wearing a tweed jacket .