A huge emergency service response descended in Westcliff yesterday evening after a teenager was threatened with a knife.

A 19-year-old man reportedly fainted after being threatened with a weapon in North Road, close to the Blackdown Flats. A police cordon was also put in place around Lothian Meats, a butcher located at the corner of North Road and Tudor Road.

An East Anglia Air Ambulance vehicle also attended the scene, landing in the nearby Milton Hall School's playing fields.

The swarm of emergency vehicles to the scene prompted fears that yet another stabbing had taken place in the borough.

A spokesperson for East of England Ambulance Service said: "We received a call at 6.19pm (24th June) to reports of an incident in North Road, Westcliff On Sea.

"The East of England Ambulance Service Trust dispatched two ambulance crews, an ambulance officer and East Anglian Air Ambulance to the scene where they cared for a man in his late teens.

"The patient was taken to hospital for further care by road."

The teenager's present condition has not been confirmed, however his injuries were not described as serious.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "We are investigating following an incident in Westcliff.

"We were called to North Road at around 6.20pm on Sunday, June 24. It was reported a 19 year-old man had fainted after being threatened with a knife.

"He was taken to hospital for treatment on injuries which are not believed to be serious.

"If you saw anything or have any information about what happened please call us on 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/89070/18 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."