An OAP slashed with a knife in Gravesend has told how he was reporting the crime to police when his alleged attacker walked past the window.

David Cook had just given a description when the officer he was speaking to asked: "Is that him?"

The police then gave chase and rugby tackled the suspect to the ground.

Retired comedian Mr Cook says he was followed through the centre of Gravesend after drawing money from Nationwide bank in Windmill Street.

The 72-year-old said: “I was using the cashpoint and noticed a man loitering behind me.

"I walked up the road, popped into the butchers for a chat and then went to walk to my car. I then noticed someone behind me.

“When I turned round I said ‘what do you want mate?’ And he just said ‘money’ and pulled out the knife.”

Mr Cook, from Northfleet, told the mugger to “jog on and **** off”.

He added: “It looked as if he was taking a step back then he lunged forward and took a slash at me.

“I didn’t think he got me, but I realised later he had cut my hand. It wasn’t anything serious, luckily.”

The pensioner ran into the nearby Flowerpot florists to get away from the attacker, who he says was quite young, before going to his car to call police.

When officers arrived, he headed back to the bank with them to check for CCTV.

But as he described the mugger to them, the suspect walked straight past the window.

He said: “The policeman said to me ‘Is that him?’ and I told him I couldn’t see clearly, but it looked exactly like him.

“They went over to speak to him and he tried to run off.

“So they rugby tackled him to the ground and arrested him.”

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of robbery and later released on bail as inquiries continue.

Despite his initial bravery, Mr Cook says the episode has left him shaken and he is now nervous about leaving the house in case he runs into the robber again.

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