A UKIP councillor and brave shop owner has described the terrifying moment he managed to wrestle a knife out of the hands of a man.

The suspected armed robbery happened in the Magdalen Green newsagents in Old Road, Clacton, shortly before 9am on Saturday morning.

A man entered the shop and held the blade to the throat of owner Mohammed Khan.

Mr Khan grabbed the knife and managed to take it from the suspect who then fled on foot towards Magdalen Road.

Mr Khan, who has run the store for 11 years, was left with small cuts to both his hands.

He said the man made a racial slur before brandishing the knife at him and he thought his life was in danger.

Police will investigate both who was responsible and what the motive was for the terrifying crime.

Mr Khan said: “I’m not a very strong person and I don’t know where my strength came from but I got hold of the knife and we started struggling.

“I was very lucky. He pushed the knife a few times.”

Mr Khan, who is a UKIP Tendring Councillor for Pier ward, said he was able to get the knife away from the man before the suspect fled the scene. He added: “He didn’t ask for any money and he didn’t ask for anything else.

“In 11 years I have had nothing like this type of violence take place in my branch.

“Everyone has been so helpful and the customers have been so supportive and so concerned.”

It is being treated as an attempted armed robbery.

Mr Khan added: “I am very pleased with the police.

“They have given me confidence, they were so prompt, within a few moments the police car was outside.

“I don’t think you can expect anything more.”

The suspect is described as being in his 40s, around 6ft tall and was wearing a black hooded top and black framed glasses.

Det Sgt Tim Coyles of Essex Police said, “We are currently treating this as an isolated incident but we would like to remind shop owners to be vigilant.

“If you saw a man matching the above description going to or from the shop or have any information please contact us at Clacton CID on 101.”

The man is still on the run and the search continues.