A PREGNANT woman needed hospital treatment for shock after watching masked car thieves beat up her husband.

Mrs Heather Sharples was violently pushed by three men who then launched a savage attack on her 28-year-old husband, Adam, as he sat in his Audi A3 car in Apollo Avenue, Sunnybank.

The gang fled empty-handed but less than two hours later, a 40-year-old motorist was threatened with a blunt weapon and, what appeared to be, a small handgun in Dalebeck Avenue, Whitefield. His Audi A3 was stolen, but he was not injured. Police believe the two carjackings on Tuesday night, could be linked.

In the first attack at 8.45pm, Mr Sharples was beaten repeatedly about the head by two of the thugs who were armed with a spanner and another instrument, thought to be a crowbar.

His wife's screams alerted residents in Apollo Avenue, and the police were called, forcing the gang to flee.

Mrs Sharples, of Woodvale Road, Radcliffe, who is eleven weeks pregnant with her first child, was taken to hospital for treatment to shock while Mr Sharples was treated for minor head injuries.

Mr Sharples, who works as an IT consultant said: "I am still suffering pain from the cuts to my head and Heather, who thankfully was not physically injured, is having difficulty sleeping. She keeps having flashbacks.

"We had gone to visit my parents who live in Apollo Avenue and had just pulled up outside their house. Heather got out and was pushed by a man. Another man opened the car door and shouted for me to hand him the keys.

"I refused and he started hitting me. Another offender started attacking me from the other side. One of them shouted for a crowbar. I had the keys in my hand and even if I had tried to give them up I couldn't because of the attack.

"Heather later told me that as soon as she got out of the car she saw the three men screaming and shouting."

Mrs Sharples (26), a wedding planner, started screaming for help and a number of residents, including her mother-in-law, telephoned the police. The men fled and were seen running off towards Sandown Road.

It was less than two hours later that the same group of offenders are thought to have struck in Dalebeck Close. The victim handed over the keys to the Black YJ-registered Audi and the men drove off with it in the direction of Oak Lane.

Detective Inspector Simon Collier, head of Whitefield CID, said: "The victims of both incidents were put through terrifying ordeals."

Anyone with information is asked to contact CID on 856 8213 or Crimestoppers (0800 555 111).