POLICE are hunting for a woman who punched a schoolboy in the face and threatened to stab him before stealing his mobile phone.

The boy, his younger brother and a friend were approached by a couple in Maple Way, Canvey, at about 11pm on Saturday.

The woman made a grab for his phone, demanding he hand it over, but the boy refused.

She then punched the boy in the face and threatened to stab him, before she and the man made off with his phone, a Sony Ericsson valued at £100.

The shocked youngster was left with a bruised face and cut lip.

Police are now trying to track down the woman, who was white, slim, between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall, and aged between 20 and 30. She had brown curly hair worn under a bandana and wore a grey, long-sleeved, baggy top.

The man with her was white, 5ft 10ins tall, aged between 30 and 35 and of medium build.

He had a gaunt face, a pale complexion and a moustache.

He wore a navy blue baseball cap with the initials NY in white and a blue hooded jacket with the word McKenzie stitched in white across the front.

Det Con Jim English, from Canvey CID, said: "Though no knife was seen, the implicit threat made a terrifying ordeal even more frightening for this young lad.

"It is important that we trace this woman and her companion as quickly as possible."

Anyone with information about the incident, or who thinks they recognise the suspects from the descriptions, is asked to contact Det Con English on 0300 333 4444, extension 39145.