Appeal after shop assistant hurt

Police are looking for a car driver who reversed over a shop assistant's foot after she tried to confront him about alleged shoplifting.

The woman suffered a broken foot in the incident at the Tollgate Service Station in Gravesend, where she works, police said.

She told officers she thought the man had hidden something inside his jacket, so she approached him but he ran from the shop to his car.

Police said she was struck by the open door of the car as he drove away, but he then reversed over her foot and dragged her a short distance.

This was a horrendous incident that could have been much more serious as the offender has shown little regard for the woman's safety Kent Police spokesman

A member of the public stood in front of the car - a maroon, G registration Ford Sierra saloon - to stop it being driven over the woman a second time, police said, before the offender drove off.

The incident happened at about 1910 BST on Friday at the garage on Watling Street.

Police said the shop assistant had her foot broken and also suffered bruising to her legs and hip.

She was taken to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford but had since been released and was recovering at home in Gravesend.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "This was a horrendous incident that could have been much more serious as the offender has shown little regard for the woman's safety.

"We would appeal to anyone who may have seen this man or his vehicle to contact us as soon as possible."

The man is described as white, with short black straight hair.

He was wearing a blue Adidas top with white stripes on the arms, dark blue Adidas trousers and a blue baseball cap.