A Colchester man is due to appear in court later today after he was charged with a number of personal robberies in a mid-Essex village.

Two masked men walked into The Sun Public House on Feering Hill in Feering shortly after 10.30pm on Monday and threatened customers with violence while wielding knives.

However, they ran away from the scene, fleeing empty-handed.

Craig Winskill was arrested a short distance away a short time afterwards and he has now been charged with five counts of robbery, relating to stealing items with force from people inside the public house.

The 24-year-old unemployed man of New Park Street in Colchester has been detained in police custody prior to his appearance at Colchester Magistrates Court today.