DETECTIVES are appealing for a good Samaritan to come forward after he stepped in to save a teenage couple in Thurrock who were being robbed at knifepoint by a masked gang.

The dramatic incident happened in Chadwell St Mary at around 4.30pm yesterday (Wednesday, 24 February).

The two young victims victims, both in their teens, were approached by a group of teenagers on the corner of St Michael's Road and Linford Road.

It is reported that the group was made up of four or five people. Some were walking and others were on bicycles. All of them had their faces covered, but one wore a black coat with fur around the hood and writing on it.

One of the group threatened the couple with a knife, asking for a phone. The victims refused and offered them money instead.

The incident was broken up by a man in a blue Transit van, who pulled over and asked after the welfare of the victims. The group then left the scene.

Police say they are keen to speak to the driver of the Transit van and anyone else who may have witnessed this incident, or who lives in the area and has CCTV or dashcam which may have been active at the time.

Anyone with information is asked to call Grays CID on 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/34403/21. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you would rather record your information online, you can do so through the police's Digital 101 service. Every day between 7am and 11pm, you can report non-emergency crime or provide police with information through this service, which you can access on the homepage of the Essex force's [L]https://www.essex.police.uk/ [L+]website [L.] by selecting the 'Live Chat' button at the bottom right of the page.