A young woman who was chased by a masked knifeman in Finsbury Park has warned others to be careful late at night.

Alice Hearing, 22, was walking up Stroud Green Road with three friends just before 1am on Friday when men in a “bashed up Audi” with a broken back window began shouting at them.

Dismissing it as cat-calling, they continued and turned left onto Tollington Park when the car pulled up on the other side of the road.

“I didn’t really realise something was happening,” Alice told the Gazette. “But my friend was quite aware and started to walk really quickly.

“All of a sudden she turned round and shouted: ‘Run’.

“I turned around and behind the two guys we were with was a man in a balaclava holding a knife. We ran for our lives and he chased after us.

“We bumped into two burly guys who calmed us down and by that time the car and the man had gone.”

Alice now wants others to be careful when walking around the area late at night. She added: “We were so shocked and scared.

“I really think people who live in the area should be aware. You might expect girls to be targeted but not a group.”

After getting back to her friend’s home, Alice called 999 but was put on hold for eight minutes before getting through to anyone.

Police said they were called to the scene and searched the area but found no one.