PUZZLED police are probing whether a woman with learning difficulties was assaulted - and say a taxi driver may hold the key to her 'missing' 40 minutes.

Det Sgt Gary Dunnagan, of Blackburn CID appealed for the driver to come forward as police attempt to piece together the movements of the 24-year-old Burnley woman.

She was out in Blackburn on Saturday, but became tired and wanted to go home at about midnight.

Her friends flagged down a taxi for her - a dark four-door saloon which had no marking - on Northgate and told the driver where she wanted to go. The driver was also given a piece of paper with the destination written on it. But 40 minutes later, the woman called police from a telephone box outside Netto in nearby Montague Street.

She said she was lost and claimed she had been physically assaulted. Det Sgt Dunnagan said: "The young woman is confused about the times on the night and we really need to find out where she was in the 40 minutes between getting into the taxi and phoning the police from Montague Street. We need to fill in the gaps of her movements.

"If you were working as a taxi driver in Blackburn town centre on Saturday night and remember this unusual sequence of events - it isn't every day someone has their destination address written down - then I would ask you to contact me."

The taxi driver was an Asian man, in his late 30s to early 40s, with dark medium-length hair and a moustache and was was wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information should call 01254 353569.