A GOODSamaritan thought he was helping an injured teenager but instead fell victim to Lancaster's first carjacking.'

Thugs left Michael Bland, 54, lying in the street before crashing his car on icy roads north of Lancaster last Thursday night.

"The police told me I was the first victim of this kind of crime in this area," he told the Citizen.

"I want to be the last one as well. This has to be stopped."

Mr Bland was driving to a friend's house in Morecambe when he saw what he thought was a body, close to a railway bridge at the end of Barley Cop Lane.

He immediately stopped his car and approached the teenage boy, who was moaning but not showing his face.

As Mr Bland attempted to call police on his mobile phone, he was set upon from behind by two thugs who pushed him into the wall and left him in the road.

"They shouted yahoo' as they drove off," says Mr Bland: "It seems funny now but it wasn't to me at the time. They were only kids they couldn't have been more than 17.

"I felt like I was targeted because I got out of the car to help I won't be doing it again. I'll sit in the car and phone the ambulance but I won't go out to help anyone."

To add insult to injury, his car was found smashed against a bollard less than a mile away. Its seats had been slashed.

Det Sgt Mark Salisbury, of Lancaster police, says: "We know how dangerous this type of offence can be from things that have happened in other parts of the country. It presents a danger to the people doing it and to the public."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Lancaster police on 01524-63333.

Right, carjack victim Michael Bland... I won't be so helpful next time.

January 16, 2003 09:30