POLICE have warned lone women drivers to keep car doors locked after the attempted abduction of a woman near Alton on her way to work.
The incident, which was not reported for several days, took place at 4-30 am on Thursday April 5, as the 46-year-old woman drove north on the A32, just south of Farringdon.
As the woman waited to join the A32, an Alton-bound white box van drove past. The woman pulled on to the A32 behind the van, which then slowed down as the driver indicated that the woman should overtake him.
As the woman continued towards Farringdon, she stopped at a red traffic light at roadworks near flooding. In her rear view mirror, she saw the white van approach behind and stop.
She heard the van door open before the man opened her driver's door, grabbed her and attempted to pull her out of the car.
The woman managed to accelerate away and foil the attempted abduction.
Detective constable Ian Mears has appealed for any witnesses to the incident to contact Alton CID on 0845 045 45 45 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.
He also appealed to anyone who may recognise the description of the van and who thinks it may have been in the Alton area at this early hour on Thursday morning.
"Although we do not have a description of the man, we are told the white box-type van has a separate driver's compartment. At the rear, it had two, large outward opening doors with large bar-type locks," he said.