A TERRIFIED woman had a screwdriver held to her ribs during a robbery in a Basildon alleyway.

The woman, in her 50s, was making her way from Chittock Mead to Long Riding when she was approached by a man who grabbed her around the neck and demanded money.

The thug pressed what is believed to have been a screwdriver into her ribs as he forced her to hand over her handbag.

Andrew Buxton, Labour councillor for St Martin's ward, called for police to be more visible to deter criminals after learning the attack had happened in the middle of the afternoon.

He said: “It’s not good at all.

I think we need to see more police on the streets. When I was a kids we all knew who our local bobby was, but we don’t seem to have that anymore.

“This woman could have just been walking to the shops, you just don’t expect this to happen in the middle of the afternoon.”

The street robbery took place shortly before 3pm on Wednesday, June 10.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “The woman was approached by a man who grabbed her and demanded her bag. She reported feeling something being pressed into the side of her body.

“The man ran off with a small amount of cash from the woman, who was uninjured.”

The suspect is black and aged around 18.

At the time he was wearing a navy woolly hat, navy top and jeans.

Anyone with information can call police on 101.