Carjack boy drags woman from car; POLICE ARE NOT LINKING LATEST ROBBERY WITH SIMILAR INCIDENT WITHIN 24 HOURS.

Byline: SAMANTHA CLARKE

A TEENAGE carjacker dragged a woman from her BMW in a Coventry shopping parade before driving off in it.

It was the second such incident in as many days.

The latest victim was parked in busy Jubilee Crescent, Radford, waiting for her mother when the teenage thief struck.

The victim says she was parked outside Woolworth's when she was approached by two teenagers.

The younger one, who she believed to be about 14, pulled her out of the driver's seat by her sleeve and drove off in the car.

His older accomplice ran round the other side of the vehicle, across Jubilee Crescent and in the direction of Links Road.

Police investigating the incident say the woman was not hurt, but the distinctive car has still not been recovered.

They say they do not believe the theft, on Friday at around 11am, is connected to a similar incident, in Lauderdale Avenue, Holbrooks, in which a 22-year-old woman was dragged from her Vauxhall Astra and the car stolen after she had stopped to answer her mobile phone in Holbrooks.

PC John McDonagh, of the Stoney Stanton Road police robbery team, said: "This is an opportunist theft, as was the other incident in Holbrooks on Saturday night.

"Apart from that there are no similarities between the two and we do not believe they are connected.

"The woman was not hurt in the incident but the car is still outstanding. It is a metallic electric blue, 5-series BMW estate, with a cream leather interior, registration A1 RVL."

The first thief is white with a narrow face and pale complexion, 5ft 3in tall and about 14 years old.

He was wearing a dark blue sports jacket with a hood, dark blue baseball cap and dark blue tracksuit bottoms.

His accomplice is white, fair skinned with dark brown short hair, about 17 years old and 5ft 10in.

He also wore a dark blue sports jacket with a hood, dark blue baseball cap and jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC John McDonagh on 0845 113 5000.

Youths hanging around 'create a fear'

TRADERS in Jubilee Crescent today said they were shocked at the incident - but not surprised.

Shopkeepers say there is an increasing number of incidents of trouble now, compared to just a few years ago.

William Day, of W C Day Family Butchers, said: "Over the last few years Jubilee Crescent has become quite unruly.

"There has been a rapid increase in vandalism and unruliness around the island. It is getting worse."

Ray Young, Jubilee Crescent sub-postmaster, said: "Certainly there are problems around here after dark. The shops around here are used by a lot of pensioners, and they go to the community centre during the day too, but they won't come out around the crescent after dark because the youths hanging round on the streets create a fear."

Mr Young said a heavier police presence was helping to make people feel safer, but said he would like to see a traders' association for Jubilee Crescent which could work closely with police.

Jackie Bristow, manager of Greggs cake shop, said she would like to see more officers patrolling the area on foot.

She added: "Touch wood, we have never had trouble here at this shop but I know there are problems elsewhere.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it was a 14-year-old who had stolen the car, not the way things are nowadays. It's getting to be a disgusting state of affairs."

Another trader, who did not want to be named, said she was shocked at the incident.

She said: "It's a bit unnerving, isn't it?

"That a 14-year-old boy can quite happily steal a BMW from a busy shopping centre in broad daylight.

"I do not see much trouble here normally but this incident is absolutely awful."

CAPTION(S):

CRIME SCENE: The parade of shops in busy Jubilee Crescent, Radford, where the latest carjacking took place; D18527_4 INCREASE IN TROUBLE: Sub-postmaster Ray Young