A THUG held a woman by the throat before setting upon a mum and her eight-year-old son in a busy street.

The attacker is said to have threatened the pair with a hidden knife before eventually being wrestled to the ground by passing Good Samaritan.

The incident occurred outside Santander bank, in Rayleigh High Street, shortly after 8.30pm on Friday, May 10.

A woman was ‘grabbed around the throat’ by a male before another lady and her eight-year-old son stopped to help despite also being threatened by the man.

As the male began threatening the mum and her son with a hidden knife, an eyewitness stepped in and wrestled the attacker to the ground.

Dal Johnson, husband and dad of the woman and son involved is hoping to make contact with the Good Samaritan in order to thank him for his actions.

He said: “I want to say thank you to the man who wrestled the attacker to the ground and to buy him a beer.

“I’ve not been successful through my Facebook appeals, but if anyone else knows anything or recognises him then please let me know.”

He added: “He was approximately six feet tall, with heavily tattooed arms and was driving a red Audi S3 with a personalised registration.”

Mr Johnson said while his wife was unharmed, she is “pretty shaken up and has cried a lot since it happened”.

The dad added: “They only went to get money out and I was at home.

“It makes me feel guilty whenever I think about it. My wife is concerned that they may come looking for her.

“My son was upset the day after but he’s written a really nice letter for the man if we can find him.”

Mr Johnson added his wife and son said the attacker was “either drunk or high on something”.

He added: “From what I’ve heard he was arguing all the way down the High Street with the woman who he first attacked.

, the woman he first attacked was his partner, and it looked like they were heading on a night out.

They were arguing all the way down the high street apparently.

“I later found out that he was covered in blood, but I don’t know where that came from.”

Mr Johnson confirmed that he had contacted Essex Police on Friday, May 10 at approximately 9pm, 30 minutes after the attack took place, and was told that officers would visit his family in the next few days.

He said: “We haven’t heard anything from them.”

Essex Police was contacted for a comment but were unable to confirm details of the incident by the time the Echo went to print.

Anyone with information on the incident should contact Essex Police on 101 or crimefighting charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Infotmation can also be give anonymously at https://crimestoppers-uk.org.