Motorist horrified as balaclava-clad thug threatened her with weapon at red light

Police have issued an appeal after a balaclava-clad thug tried to open a woman's car door was she stopped at traffic lights in Oldham.

The motorist was heading in the direction of the town on Lees Road, at around 8pm on July 23. She came to a stop at a red light at the junction of Broadoak Road and St. Christopher's Road, where she became aware of someone attempting to open her car door.

At this point she looked up to see a man in a balaclava tapping on her driver's side window. The male then produced a weapon and told her to get out of the car, leaving the key in the ignition. She said no and drove away, with the male falling off his bike.

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As she drove away, she noticed another male with the first, and both were believed to be on electric or motor bikes. It is not known which direction they came from or went following the incident.

Police are now appealing for anyone with any information to please get in touch, including any relevant CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage from the area of the road and junction at around 8pm that night.

Sergeant Robert Froggatt, from GMP's Tameside district, said: "This attempted robbery thankfully resulted in no injuries or no property taken, but a woman was understandably left shaken after being threatened by a weapon. I would urge anyone with any information to please get in touch with us, as your information could greatly benefit the investigation.

"If you saw anything from around that time, or have any knowledge of what happened, you can contact police via 0161 856 9262, 101, or gmp.police.uk, quoting crime reference number CRI/06GG/0014959/24."