Police are appealing for witnesses following an alleged kidnapping in Helston last Thursday.

The incident is alleged to have taken place at 4.25pm, involving a 45-year-old woman from Porthleven as she sat in her car in parking spaces to the side of the town’s Spar shop.

A man is alleged to have got in her car and forced her to drive away.

Police say the incident ended in the car park of Helston’s Sainsbury’s store around half a mile away, when the woman managed to stop the car and shout for the man to get out.

Sergeant Phil Rowland, from Helston Police Station, said: “This woman showed great fortitude in what must have been an extremely traumatic experience.

“Thankfully, incidents such as this are very rare in our area and we would like to appeal to members of the public to come forward if they have any information.

“We would particularly appeal to any witnesses of the incident in Sainsbury’s car park to come forward as we believe that there were people in the area at the time.”

A police spokesman said later that afternoon a man was discovered in a nearby house. The man ran away but was stopped by one of the householders, who stayed with him until the police arrived.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111, quoting reference AH/12/1387.

n A 33-year-old man from Mevagissey has been charged with kidnap and burglary with intent to steal.

He was due to appear before a court on Tuesday.