The daytime attack in Bury St Edmunds happened while the woman's five-year-old daughter was sat in the back of the vehicle.

The incident happened in Out Westgate at the Spread Eagle junction between 10.10am and 10.25am on Tuesday.

"I stopped a car and said 'I've just been attacked, please help'. The gentleman said, 'I'm going to be late for work, get on with it'. I was gobsmacked," said the woman, who asked not to be named.

"It was quite a nasty experience. I went indoors afterwards and was in floods of tears."

The incident began as the woman drove on the A143 into Bury. A flatbed van driver tried but failed to undertake her on the road near Horringer Court.

As they stopped at red traffic lights near the Spread Eagle pub, the man got out of his van, reached through the woman's car window and grabbed her arm, smacking it down against the glass.

"He was a complete stranger," the woman said.

"I grabbed hold of him and said stop, then he said, 'So you want to play it like this', and grabbed me around my neck and started to squeeze."

The man then took her car keys and walked off. In shock, the woman went after the man to get her keys back and tried to flag down several vehicles for help. The driver who was running late eventually intervened because he was stuck behind her car.

Her attacker threw her keys back and drove off towards the town centre. He is described as white, 5ft 10ins, with fair ginger hair and a moustache. His van may have had machinery on the back.

Witnesses should contact Pc Connor Lyon on 01284 774100.


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