A WOMAN was robbed by a balaclava-clad man who threatened her with a firearm.

The victim, a woman in her 20s, was walking along the Salary Brook Trail following an event at the University of Essex at around 4.15am today when she was approached by the man.

He presented a firearm and demanded money.

He stole less than £100 in cash and made off on foot towards the university.

A University spokesman said: "The safety of our students is incredibly important to us.

"Following this incident we would like to remind students we have a 24-hour security team at our Colchester Campus to provide support and advice while our Students’ Union's safety bus runs overnight to help those travelling from the University on their own."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Dc Danielle Markoutsis at Colchester Police Station on 101 quoting incident 197 of 18/02 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.