Man Assaulted And Bentley Stolen

Three men threatened a man with a gun and assaulted him in order to steal his Bentley in Wigan, police say.

At around 6.30pm on Wednesday, a woman at home noticed three men acting suspiciously at a bus stop on Preston Road, near to the junction with Pepper Lane.

The woman called her husband, who was on his way home, and, as a precautionary measure, parked his blue Bentley car around 50 yards away from the house.

Police say when he started to walk towards his house, the three men ran towards him.

The victim attempted to run away but he was caught and dragged to the floor. The man then assaulted him, pointed a handgun at him, and demanded the keys to the car.

The victim eventually handed the offenders the keys to the Bentley, who drove north of the A49, in the direction of Coppull.

It is understood the offenders were wearing hooded jackets and partially covering their faces.

Detective Sergeant Phil Housley of Wigan CID said: "This was clearly a planned robbery, where the victim was left assaulted and badly shaken.

"With this being such a distinctive car, we believe that the offenders will have had a planned destination in mind, and every effort is being made to track the car down.

"We are, however, really keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or seen a Bentley being driven in Standish after 6.30pm on Wednesday."

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact: 0161 856 7249.

(DS/KMcA)