Man arrested after woman forced into car

The woman was forced into a silver Peugeot 207 in the Clifton area of Bristol

People who tried to help a woman after she was forced into a car by a man are being urged to contact police.

Avon and Somerset Police said the victim, who is in her 30s, was forced into a silver Peugeot 207 in Clifton, Bristol on Tuesday 30 September.

She managed to shout to three men for help when the car stopped in Wells, Somerset later that evening.

Detectives said a man has been arrested as part of the investigation.

Passers-by tried to intervene multiple times during the woman's ordeal, and the force says they could provide "vital" information.

One person challenged the man and shouted at him when the woman was forced into the car in Bristol.

Later that evening, on the A39 near Wells, the victim and the man left the car and he drove off without her when several cars pulled up behind.

Police said the car was then driven at the woman a short while later in nearby Coxley, before the man forced her back into the vehicle.

She shouted for help when the car drove into a small car park on Rowdens Road in Wells, and the man fled the scene while the woman was helped by three men who gave her a lift in a black saloon.

Det Con Kirsty Richards said: "This is a truly shocking series of incidents and we've carried out a significant amount of work, including reviewing CCTV footage."

She added that the incident involved two people who were known to each other.

Ms Richards said: "We are particularly keen to speak to the person who bravely attempted to intervene in Bristol, any drivers who saw anything in Coxley and the three men who helped the victim in Wells."