A COMPANY secretary had a large amount of money snatched from her car when a crook carried out an elaborate heist.

And police are now warning firms to be on the lookout for suspicious characters when they make large withdrawals from banks.

Detectives believe the woman was followed to her car after she took out a large undisclosed amount of cash from a bank in Accrington town centre.

It is thought the man followed his victim to her car and tampered with the vehicle before she set off for her Nelson company.

The woman was forced to stop in Burnley Road, Huncoat, when a tyre went flat and the thief then snatched the cash from the passenger seat of the car.

The secretary was not injured in the incident. The theft took place shortly after 10am Friday and police are calling for any witnesses to come forward.

The company have asked to remain anonymous, but it is believed the man escaped with a four-figure sum of money.

Det Inspector Jim Oldcorn, head of Accrington CID, said: "Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing and probably orchestrated the breakdown of the car.

"This is a ruse that has been used before and no doubt will be used again in the future. When people are withdrawing large amounts of money, they should be aware of the dangers.

"And anyone who has a large amount of money with them should be always keep it out of sight."

The thief is white, in his late teens, 5ft 6in and has dark hair. He was wearing a dark top and jeans.

The man escaped on foot, but police believe he must have been using a vehicle, and may have had an accomplice waiting in the car.

The number to ring with information, is 01254 382141.

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