“I COULD have lost him forever”.

A Southampton woman has spoken of her shock after a man threatened her partner with a nine-inch knife before fleeing with her car.

Amy French went to the Co-op in Worcester Place, Sholing, to buy some milk.

But the day of the 35-year-old sports massage therapist was turned into a nightmare after her partner Wayne Ray was threatened while waiting for her outside the shop.

Ms French said Mr Ray, 35, a groundworker from Southampton, was sat in her white Kia Picanto parked outside the store shortly before 4pm on Sunday and was looking at his phone when a man opened the car door.

“Wayne thought it was me but he looked and it was a man who said ‘you have to get out or I’ll slit your throat’.

“He could have killed him”, the mother-of-three said.

She added: “Wayne was in a bit of panic to undo the seat belt and the bloke pointed the knife to his ribs and shouted ‘get out, get out’.”

Ms French said the man left with the car leaving Mr Ray in shock.

“He came into the shop and said Amy we have just been robbed. I thought he was joking but he wasn’t.”

Ms French’s bag, keys, mobile phone and all her work equipment have been stolen as they were in the car.

“I still feel sick. I still fear for my life.

“I can’t sleep. I just can’t think it happened.

“It’s like my life has been put on hold. I was going to start a new job on Monday, it was a new chapter of my life, everything was looking good and this bloke took everything away from me,” Ms French said.

Hampshire Constabulary said the car was found in Barnfield Close, in Woolston and had not been damaged.

But Ms French said the vehicle was taken away for forensic examination and she has paid £150 to get the vehicle back.

She said: “I don’t think it’s fair.

“I’m trying to better my life and someone has nicked it.

“This has already caused us so much damage.

“Why should I pay to get my car back? I’m the victim but I feel like I’m in the wrong.”

As previously reported, Hampshire Constabulary had said the force recovers stolen vehicles as part of the national vehicle recovery scheme and the costs are usually reimbursed by the victim’s insurance company.

A spokesperson for Hampshire police has confirmed that no-one has been arrested in connection with the robbery and enquiries are ongoing.

Witnesses are urged to call 101 quoting 44180350307.