A DRIVER was subjected to a terrifying ordeal after three men forced their way into his car.

Police are investigating the incident which happened as the 22-year-old waited for his girlfriend outside the Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm, near Stockton, in the early hours of Saturday.

The trio got into his car and forced him to drive towards Middlesbrough before diverting him on the road to Maltby.

The driver, from Willington, County Dur-ham, tried to drive off when one of the men got out to relieve himself.

But the two men still in the car pulled the handbrake on before punching and headbutting him. He was then forced from the car before being punched to the ground.

The three men drove off leaving the victim stranded. His red Seat Ibiza was later found burnt out in Middlesbrough.

Detective Sergeant Steve Coulson, of Stockton CID, said: "It was a very nasty and serious attack by people who are obviously very callous.

"At the end of the day, this lad was just waiting for his girlfriend and they terrorised him.

"It is a rare attack, but even so it is one too many. It could have been a lot worse than it was."

The victim needed hospital treatment for swelling and bruising to his lips and face and stitches to his eye.

The attackers were all said to be white and aged between 25 to 30. One of them had scarring on his face and his knuckle was bleeding. He had cropped brown hair.

A second man had brown hair, a thin face and scarring, while the third was about 6ft 2in, slim and had sticky out ears with brown hair brushed forward.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Det Sgt Coulson on (01642) 302226.