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Driving instructor's terrifying ordeal

A driving instructor was forced to drive from Colchester to Harwich yesterday by a man who got into his car and threatened him. Police say the instructor was in his AA Driving School car near Sainsbury's at Stanway when the man got into the back seat.

He hit the driver on the head and ordered him to take him to Harwich. At around 12.40pm the man told the victim to stop on Harwich Road in Little Oakley before running off. The victim was not seriously hurt but he was very shaken.

This is an extremely unusual set of circumstances and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the man getting into the car. The vehicle is a black Ford Focus, with AA Driving School written on the sides. It is quite distinctive and at the time of day that this happened there would have been many other motorists and shoppers around. "He did not steal anything from the victim and at this stage his only motive appears to have been to get to Harwich but he has left a frightened and very shaken victim in his wake.

– Det Con Pete Gartland, Colchester CID

Police say the attacker was a large white man, aged around 45, with a chubby face and dark stubble. He wore a blue denim baseball cap, a grey waterproof jacket, and was around 5ft 10in to 6ft tall.

Anyone with information should ring Colchester CID on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Children hit van with brick on A12

A van's been hit by a brick thrown by a group of children from a bridge over the A12 in Essex.

It was thrown from the Halstead footbridge near Stanway yesterday afternoon, smashing the van's windscreen. The driver wasn't hurt. Police are still searching for those responsible.

Last month ITV Anglia carried this special investigation which found that more than 400 incidents of throwing missiles onto the regions roads have been reported.