A MAN who tried to kidnap two young women as they walked home from nights out in Blackburn has been jailed.

Soyab Patel, 22, of Winston Road, Blackburn, targeted the two women in separate incidents in the town just one hour apart.

Preston Crown Court heard that he had intended to sexually assault the women but they had managed to struggle free from him.

After one escaped the court was told he attempted to mow her down with his car in a “terrifying attack”

She had to scramble away over the bonnet of his car, the hearing was told.

He admitted two counts of attempted kidnap with the intention of committing a sexual offence and dangerous driving.

As well as being jailed for three and a half years he was also given a lifetime sex offenders registration order and a 12 month driving ban, at Preston Crown Court yesterday.

Det Con John Banks, of Blackburn CID, said: “This must have been a terrifying ordeal for the victims, which could easily have had even more serious consequences.

”Soyab Patel’s behaviour on this night was extremely concerning and I believe the sentence handed to him reflects the serious nature of the offences he committed.”

Police said that early on Saturday, March 28, last year Patel tried to grab a 25-year-old woman in Hancock Street, Blackburn.

At around 1am he approached the girl in his car and made a lewd comment to her before trying to grab her arm and pull her into the car.

As the girl ran off Patel drove at her forcing her to jump on to the bonnet of the car to escape being injured.

Just an hour later in Coleridge Street, Blackburn, Patel approached another 25-year-old woman and grabbed her arm in an attempt to force her into his car.

She pushed him away but Patel then pounced on her and kissed her before she managed to run off.