A robber burst into a Colchester barber's - but was sent packing when the hairdresser threatened him with a cut-throat razor.

And 30-year-old crimper Lisa Channon, of Greenstead, has been praised for confronting the man.

He had come into Henrei's Barber Shop in Mersea Road at 11am on Tuesday asking for a short back and sides.

But when he sat down in the chair he demanded Lisa hand over cash from the till. She refused twice and told him to leave but he continued to demand money.

As a last resort she grabbed a cut-throat razor from the side and threatened him with it.

Lisa, who moved to Colchester a few weeks ago to escape more-violent London, said: "I didn't think twice. I would have cut him straight across the face if he had touched me.

"He stormed off out of the shop empty-handed and I ran to the funeral parlour down the road and they rang the police."

Lisa was the only staff member in the shop at the time and there were no customers present. She was today shaken by the ordeal.

Susan Guernari, who owns the barber's and another salon called Susan's in Hamilton Road, Colchester, said: "It was quite shocking. Nothing like this has happened before in my shops.

"But Lisa managed to hold her own and she should be praised for that."

The suspect is described as a white man, aged 30 to 35, clean shaven, slim, with dark shiny brown hair tied with a rubber band in a pony tail.

He was wearing a dark blue silky bomber jacket, black T-shirt, blue jeans and black trainers.

Anyone with information should contact Colchester police on 01206 762212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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