POLICE are hunting a white transit van driver who ordered an elderly woman out of her Volkswagen Polo car before driving off with it from the Truck Haven Services in Carnforth yesterday afternoon.

The stolen car, registration number PN14 OEK, was seen in the Ulverston at around 2.20pm on Wednesday and police are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen it.

Lancashire police say the van had followed the car into the service station before the driver got out and went to the passenger side of the Volkswagen before demanding the lady leaves her car.

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The van driver is described as white, 5ft 10in tall, big build, with very short or no hair and was wearing a light coloured T-shirt. 

It follows an incident further down the M6 at Forton Services Northbound when a woman sitting in the passenger side of a Range Rover Evoque was threatened by a man who got into the car. He made threats towards the woman who managed to get out of the car and raise the alarm.

Police say the man left the vehicle before making off from the scene in a white transit van and headed north on to the motorway.

DI Andy Ellis said: “Both these incidents must have been extremely frightening for both women and thankfully they were not seriously injured. 

"While we are at an early stage of our inquiries we believe these incidents could be linked and we are keen to trace the man described. 

"If anyone was at either of these services around the time the incidents took place and witnessed what happened I would urge them to contact us as soon as possible. Similarly if you have seen the VW Golf since it was taken then please get in touch.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting log 510 of July 26. 

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org.