A MAN was punched in the face as he prepared to drive away from a garage in the early hours of the morning.

It happened at about 5.45am on Saturday, September 4 ,on the forecourt of the Caldo garage in Eltonhead Road, Marshalls Cross.

The 21-year-old victim was returning to his car after visiting the garage shop when two men approached him, one of whom was drinking from a can of beer.

Without warning, one of the men leaned inside the man's car, tried to snatch the ignition keys and then punched him on the side of his head.

However, the man managed to fend his attacker off and drove away.

He described the man with the can of lager as white, about 5ft 8ins tall and slim and aged in his late teens or early 20s. His hair was possibly blond and cut short and he wore a blue tracksuit. His companion was about the same age with dark hair cut in a skinhead.

Anyone with information can contact the St Helens Incident Management Unit on 0151 777 6969 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.