A TEEANGER has told how she shielded her family from a man wielding a machete before he terrorised shop staff.

Lucy Nobile, who is 16, and her autistic sister Amelia had been for lunch when the incident started on East Hill, Colchester, on Sunday afternoon.

Colchester Institute student Lucy said it was her “instinct” to protect her sister, 20, who is a charity volunteer.

Lucy said the man first pulled up alongside the girls in a Fiat 500 as they walked up the hill to the town centre.

She said: “He asked for my number and told me to get in the car.

“I said no and that I wasn’t interested.”

At that point Lucy’s stepdad, Marcus, joined them and tried to intervene.

Lucy said her stepdad asked the man if there was a problem.

She continued: “The man in the car then pulled out a machete and said ‘Only if you have got a problem’.

“He then tried to get out of his car.

“I put my weight against the door so he couldn’t open it. My sister was crying.

“Other people heard what was happening and started shouting and he managed to get out of his car.

“I made sure my stepdad and sister were behind me, then he aimed the machete at us.”

Lucy said the man then abruptly got back into his car and sped off.

Police raced to the scene and a search was launched for the suspect.

Meanwhile, the man had driven to a parade of shops in the Greenstead area of the town and allegedly threatened staff at the One Stop shop in Hunwicke Road.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Officers responded to calls that staff had refused to serve an aggressive man around 4.20pm.

“The suspect then became aggressive and started waving around a machete.”

Officers arrived at the scene.

Staff at the One Stop shop said they were not allowed to comment on what happened.

Lucy added: “My main concern was to keep my sister safe, it was kind of instinct.

“We were all shaken up and are better today but still shaken up.”

n A 24-year-old London man has been arrested in connection wit the incidents. He remains in custody.