A TERRIFIED student rang her parents for help after a fellow motorist thrust a samurai sword through her car window.

Other York College students watched in horror as the man allegedly walked up to the woman in queuing traffic, stuck a sword through her open car window before driving off.

Armed police attended the college, on Tadcaster Road, yesterday afternoon after receiving a call from the student's father, who had been contacted by his daughter while she was still in the car.

A college spokeswoman said the student had been queuing in traffic along the campus's main road, towards the car park, at about 1.30pm.

She said the girl had "panicked" during the incident and phoned her parents, who had immediately alerted the police. The spokeswoman said nobody had been injured and the girl had been comforted by her personal tutor all afternoon.

She said: "There's often quite a tail-back on the main road going down to the car park.

"My understanding is that people started beeping their horns a bit; that's when I think that this weapon was shown and the student rang her parents who then rang the police.

"Straight away the student went to her personal tutor and has been with her ever since.

"Our staff have been helping the police as much as they can."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said a man had called at 1.30pm to say his daughter claimed a man, who she did not know, had got out of a car and walked towards her before sticking a samurai sword through her open car window, without saying anything. A search was later mounted.

Armed police scoured Strensall Common in York after reports of a man bearing a knife.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said a man called at 8.40pm yesterday to say he had seen a man on the common shouting and waving what he thought was a knife.

Police searched the area for almost two hours, and were continuing to make inquiries today.

Updated: 10:28 Wednesday, January 26, 2005