Woman struck in car-jacking

This Mercedes was stolen in an earlier car-jacking

A woman has been hit in the face with a handgun as she tried to stop her sports car from being stolen in Birmingham.

The car-jacking incident was the third in the city in the past 10 days.

The victim, who was in her 20s, was visiting the Hockley area of the city on Wednesday when she was attacked.

She was getting out of her white Honda on Hunters Road when she was approached by two men.

One of the men put his hand over her mouth and dragged her away from the car.

The victim was a defenceless female who was visiting the area and the attack on her was disproportionate to the crime

Acting detective inspector Barnaby Wilcock

As she struggled, the men pulled out a handgun and hit her over the side of her face with it.

Passing motorists tried to box in the car but were forced to move when they saw the thieves were armed.

Acting detective inspector Barnaby Wilcock, of West Midlands Police, said the woman had been through a terrible ordeal.

He said: "This is another appalling crime where a car was stolen at gunpoint.

"The victim was a defenceless female who was visiting the area and the attack on her was disproportionate to the crime."

Escaped injury

Police are now linking the attack with two other similar cases in Birmingham.

On 10 July, a young couple and their baby son escaped injury after thieves shot at them in broad daylight before stealing their Mercedes car.

The incident took place in the Aston area of Birmingham and the car was later recovered.

Three days later, a man was shot in the face when robbers stole his Audi estate in the Newtown area of the city.

Police believe that someone in the community must know something about the incidents and are appealing for information.