Woman robbed of BMW on A6 as she stopped in layby to read a text

On Tuesday evening, a woman in her 30s was driving on the A6 towards Chorley in her white BMW M235i when she stopped in a layby so she could read a text message she had just received.

As she pulled over somewhere between the junction with Bolton Road on the Blackrod Bypass two men approached her car, smashed her window and pulled her from the vehicle.

They then drove off in the BMW, which police later found abandoned in a nearby field.

An appeal for information and witnesses is now under way.

A spokesperson for the police said: "We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a woman was robbed of her vehicle while parked up in a layby on the A6 on Tuesday evening.

"The victim, a woman in her 30s, was driving towards Chorley from the direction of Middlebrook in her white BMW M235i when she received a text message.

"She pulled into a layby at the Blackrod Bypass somewhere between the junction with Bolton Road at Westhoughton, near to The Royal Oak and Grimeford Lane, at around 6.35pm.

"Moments later two men have approached the BMW, smashed her driver’s window and pulled the victim from the car.

"The car was later found abandoned in a nearby field."

No arrests have been made at this time but enquiries are very much ongoing.

DS Paul Price, of Chorley CID, said: “This was a terrifying incident for the victim and it has understandably left her extremely shaken.

“Enquiries are ongoing to identify the suspects and I am asking the public to get in contact if they saw the white BMW in that area before or after this shocking incident occurred.

"I would also ask people to check their dashcam footage to see if they have picked up the BMW travelling from the Greater Manchester area before 6.33pm or indeed after the incident.”

Anyone with information or footage is asked to email 4625@lancashire.police.uk or call 101, quoting log 1370 of July 20.