A man froze in terror when a robber held a knife to his throat and made off with his mobile phone.

The robbery is the latest in a spate of incidents showing criminals in Southend are continuing to target the devices.

An average of two phones a day have been stolen in the town, according to police reports.

Police have issued advice for mobile phone owners to be wary of displaying or using the phones in public when it could attract the attention of thieves.

In the most recent attack, a stranger approached his 26-year-old victim in Windermere Road, Southend.

The man asked: "Excuse me, what have you got in the bag?"

He grabbed the victim by the shoulder and held the knife to his throat while he opened and searched the bag he was carrying.

He took a mobile phone and £50, before making off.

The robber, who struck at 4.50pm on Thursday, was white, of medium build, in his twenties and 5ft 8ins tall with brown hair. He wore a blue hooded top and blue jeans.

In a separate incident, two men approached a 17-year-old youth among a group of people in Southend High Street.

A spokesman for Southend police said: "They displayed the handle of what the victim believed was a knife held in a trouser pocket."

They got away with the victim's mobile phone worth £80 in the robbery at 5.50pm on Monday, February 25.

One of the men was black, around 19 to 20-years-old, 5ft 11ins tall with brown eyes and black hair tied back in dreadlocks. He wore a blue checked shirt and jeans.

Information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Published Wednesday, March 6, 2002