Car-jacking woman leapt on bonnet

The thief may have been in the shops beforehand, police said

A woman who jumped onto the bonnet of her car as a thief tried to drive it away is lucky to be alive, police said.

She was returning from a shopping trip when she noticed a loud noise caused by a can tied to the rear of her car.

The thief nipped in when she got out to investigate. She clung on for several minutes as the car sped away from the car park, West Midlands Police said.

The woman, from the West Midlands, was finally thrown off into the road and suffered cuts and bruises.

Reflex action

Her Audi was later found abandoned in Castle Bromwich.

Julie, who was too scared to be fully identified, said: "If I had time to think about it, I don't think I would have done what I have done.

"It was more of an instant reaction."

Police want to hear from anyone who may have seen the thief near the shops beforehand.

He is described as white, in his mid 20s, and was possibly wearing a striped shirt and baseball cap.