A man suspected of threatening a driver with a knife has appeared in court.

Benjamin Ayres, 24, of River Bank Walk in Colchester appeared in Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Wednesday after police arrested a man in High Street.

Police attended an incident on Monday night after reports a man had stopped a woman while she was driving, made verbal threats to her before pulling out a weapon, described by residents as a 'machete'.

The incident forced traffic to a halt and police were at the scene for more than an hour after it happened.

A spokesman for Essex Police, said: "We have charged a man with possession of a weapon, theft, criminal damage and three counts of common assault in Southminster.

"Benjamin Ayres appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday."

Ayres will appear in court again on Wednesday January 9.