A horrified mum and dad have spoken of their shock after a man grabbed their son in a Colchester bank.

That's our boy - Luke with proud parents Stephen Robertson and Cheryl Hall, who said he did exactly what they had told him if grabbed by a stranger. Picture: STEVE BRADING (41397-b)

Eleven-year-old Luke Hall was with his older brothers in the main area of the High Street branch of Barclays when the incident happened.

Parents Cheryl Hall and Stephen Robertson today described how they had left him in the branch with his two older brothers as they attended a business meeting there.

Luke did exactly what she and her husband, who have four children, had told him to do if he found himself in a situation where someone grabbed him.

"He basically made as much noise as he possibly could, kicking and screaming. Then he just dropped his body on the floor like a dead weight, which makes it difficult for someone to drag you," added Mrs Hall.

An Essex Police spokesman confirmed Colchester police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened at about 2.40pm last Thursday.

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Published Wednesday, March 2, 2005

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