Chef in 'nightmare' carjacking

The victm was left traumatised by the incident

An Indian takeaway chef was the victim of a carjacking and twice held captive while he was driven around the Essex countryside, say police.

The man had stopped his car to look at a map in Wickford on Saturday after he got lost on his way back from delivering an order when two men jumped in.

The victim, who has not been named, was driven around for 30 minutes and taunted with racial abuse before being dumped, said Essex police.

But his ordeal was not yet over because as the victim tried to find help, his attackers returned.

I have no doubt he feared for his life

Police spokesman

They bundled him into the back seat of the car, forcing him to lie down, and drove him around for another hour before letting him get out in a field.

The 26-year-old's ordeal only ended at 0430 GMT on Sunday when he called police from a phone box in Mountnessing.

The chef lives in east London and works at an Indian restaurant in West Hanningfield, Essex.

He had delivered a meal to South Hanningfield when a white woman in her 20s knocked on his car window as he looked at a map and his ordeal began.

Car missing

A police spokesman said the victim was "extremely cold and shaken" but uninjured.

"This is an extremely nasty incident leaving an innocent hard-working young man freezing cold and traumatised," said a spokesman.

"He was taken on a nightmare journey through dark country lanes leaving him understandably shaken.

"I have no doubt he feared for his life".

The spokesman described the men as having been "particularly cruel" in releasing their victim only to take him hostage again.

The victim's car - a blue Peugeot 406 registration P922 EDP - has not been found.

In the car was a mobile phone and about £60 in cash.

The Indian restaurant had reported their chef missing when he did not return.

Police have described the two attackers as white. One was aged about 28, about 5ft 8" and heavily built.

The other was in his early 20s, about 5ft 11" , slightly built and wore a red and white checked shirt. They both smelt of alcohol.