HIJACKERS held up a lorry bound for a North Wales factory at gunpoint before kidnapping the driver and speeding off in an early morning raid yesterday.

The heist on Drome Road, in Deeside Industrial Estate, saw a gang of four men wearing balaclavas pull postcard printing a shotgun to halt an articulated lorry carrying thousands of pounds worth of Umbro sports kit.

The gang then smashed the truck's windows and clambered on board ordering the terrified driver to lie down. The vehicle, a black Volvo FH12 Sleeper cab, owned by Ray Stewart Haulage, was then driven off out of the industrial estate.

The driver, a 37-year-old man from Warrington, was forced into a black people-carrier car and made to wear a hood.

He was then driven out to East Lancashire where he was let out of the vehicle in Lowton, Wigan, at around 9am.

The lorry was ditched and torched in St Helens, but not before the robbers got away with the entire cargo.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were called out at about 11.30am to deal with the blazing truck on Mossborough Road, Rainford.

Firefighters reported that the Volvo was completely engulfed in flames.

Two pumps attended and crews put out the fire with hose reels and jets.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police they became aware of the hijack and kidnap when the victim himself reported the incident.

A spokesman said: "He said he'd been kidnapped by four men in balaclavas.

Zenith Replica Watches "He was bundled into another car and abandoned in Lowton.

"He had no idea where he was and a passerby had to help him to a police station."

Sgt Craig Turner, who is leading the investigation on behalf of North Wales Police, said: "The driver was uninjured, but very shocked.

"Deeside Industrial Estate is a busy area, especially at this time of the morning, and we brochure printing are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the vehicle or noticed anything suspicious."

Management at Warrington-based truck firm Ray Stewart Haulage said they were not in a position to comment on the details of the kidnap.

But a spokesman said: "We just want anyone with information to come forward to help apprehend these criminals and our thoughts are with the driver right now."

No-one at the Umbro factory on Weighbridge Road was available for comment last night.

. Anyone with information is asked to contact officers at Mold CID on 101, if you are calling from Wales, 0845 607 1001 (Welsh line), 0845 607 1002 (English line) or Crimestoppers Wales anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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