FYFIELD: Lorry driver tied up and threatened with a gun

5:39pm Saturday 8th November 2008

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A LORRY driver was tied up in his cab and threatened with a gun.

The very distressed driver was found with his arms and legs taped up.

He was forced to drive his lorry through Essex before two men stole the contents of his containers, worth about £39,000.

The 39-year-old driver had collected his load of whiskey and children’s toys from Kent and was due to travel north to deliver it.

When he stopped at the MOTO services in Thurrock, in the early hours of November 5, a man approached him asking to borrow his mobile phone.

As he went back to his lorry another man threatened him and said he had a gun.

They then forced him to drive through Essex and stopped about 15 minutes away with one man beside him and the other in the seat behind.

He said they stayed there for many hours before finally stopping in a lay-by where the two containers were unloaded, possibly onto another lorry.

He was finally found on Ongar Road in Fyfield at about 10.40am.

The two suspects were both described as white.

One was about six foot two inches tall, wearing a beanie hat and a high visibility jacket.

The other was smaller, about five foot seven inches tall and this man showed the victim the barrel of what he believed was a gun.

Police want to hear from anyone who saw a silver Mercedes cab with a panda cuddly toy in the window.

It was towing a trailer with two separate containers both 20 foot long, one blue and the other red, with numbers on the side.

The victim, from Kent, could not remember much about the incident and was unsure where he had driven.

Police have appealed for witnesses to help put together the route the lorry driver went across Essex.

DS Michelle Connor from Tilbury CID said: “I would also like to hear from anyone offered toys or whisky in unusual circumstances. The thieves got away with about £39,000 of Wild Turkey whiskey which is not a well know brand.”

Anyone who has any information or remembers seeing the lorry somewhere in Essex should contact Tilbury CID on 03003334444.