TWO men “grabbed a teenage girl” and tried to steal her phone in a terrifying attempted robbery near an alleyway in Rochford.

The girl, 19, was reportedly targeted by the men as she walked down North Street, in Rochford, with two friends.

According to Leigh Aston New, who is close to the girl, the victim was “grabbed by the arm” by two men who tried to forcibly steal her phone.

The incident happened at roughly midnight on Tuesday close to the Fish 4 U takeaway.

The victim, who asked not to be identified after the terrifying incident, was left shaken but uninjured.

Leigh said: “I know her really well and it sounds really scary.

“I have been home late before and you often feel safer in Rochford because it is a small community, my son has had someone hold a knife to him here before though, it can happen.

“The three of them needed to meet and they were together, it happened when they were oblivious.

“I want to make people aware there are people like that, Rochford is close, and these people could be from out of town, it is so strange.”

She claims that one of the attackers was aged in his 30s and the other in his 50s and were both wearing trousers and t-shirts.

“I find it shocking it was grown men, they aren’t even young and stupid, they knew what they were doing and that is absolutely disgusting,” Leigh added.

“To do it to girls, to treat them as easy targets as well.

“To them, they probably though they were all girls and pounced, luckily the phone didn’t get taken.”

She added that the attack happened around midnight and the attackers “appeared out of nowhere.”

Leigh said: “Out of nowhere there appeared a man who grabbed her arm and tried to get the phone out of her hand, one is said to be in his 30s and the other in his 50s.

“They were just dressed normally in T-shirts and normal clothes, this all happened while they were on their way back to mine.”

The incident has been reported to Essex Police and anyone with information should call 101.