Woman driver stricken on motorway with flat tyre robbed after passing car stops

A WOMAN has been robbed of cash and her mobile phone after she stopped on the hard shoulder of a motorway with a flat tyre.

The robbery happened between 6.30pm and 7pm on Friday on the A74 in Dumfries and Galloway.

The 32-year-old was driving a white Volkswagen car south between junctions 16 and 17 when she realised she had a flat tyre.

She pulled over on to the hard shoulder south of Johnstonebridge and got out of the car to phone for assistance from the SOS telephone.

A small silver car stopped and three people got out and offered assistance.

The victim got out to speak to them but one of the men pushed her back into her car, grabbed her by the neck and demanded money.

He stole a three-figure sum of cash from her purse and her mobile phone before driving off southbound with the other two people.

The victim returned to the SOS telephone box to report the robbery.

The suspect who grabbed the driver is described as white, tall with a muscular build and with short brown hair. There is no information to describe the other two suspects.