Briton missing after Outback hold-up

The area where the ambush took place is very remote

A British tourist has gone missing in Australia after he and his girlfriend were ambushed by a gunman on a highway in the Northern Territory.

The couple, who have not been named, were flagged down late on Saturday by the man, who claimed he was having engine trouble.

When the Briton went to help, his girlfriend heard what she thought was a gun shot.

Grave fears are held for his safety

Northern Territory police

The attacker then tied up the 27-year-old woman, who is also British, and forced her into his truck at gunpoint, but she managed to flee into the bush.

She hid while the gunman searched for her with a torch and a dog.

The woman, who is said to be "extremely traumatised" by the attack, eventually raised the alarm by flagging down a passing motorist at around 2am.

Australian police said her companion has not been seen since and there were "grave fears" for his safety.

The Northern Territory is a bleak, remote region

They later said there had been a number of alleged sightings of the offender which were being followed up.

The couple's orange van had also been found in bushland north of Barrow Creek where the gunman had apparently driven it off the road, a spokeswoman revealed.

The Foreign Office said the relatives of the couple had been told of the situation and had asked not to have their names released to the media.

Road closure

The couple were driving on the main Stuart Highway, 175 miles north of Alice Springs, when the man flagged them down.

Police are conducting an air search over a wide area in an attempt to catch the gunman.

Roadblocks have been set up along major highways throughout the remote outback territory in an attempt to catch the gunman.

Police are searching a wide area

Police have also closed a 300 mile stretch between the towns of Katherine and Alice Springs.

A Northern Territory police spokeswoman said: "Her companion went to assist and she heard what may have been a gunshot. She didn't see what happened.

"The man then threatened her with a gun and ordered her out of the vehicle and tied her up.

"He got her into the back of the utility, then was distracted for some reason and she fled into the scrub."

Police have urged the public not to approach the man and have warned people not to travel along the highways until he has been caught.