Police said the raid netted the highest value haul ever recorded in the West Midlands. Detectives have reported a recent upsurge in attacks on foreign lorry drivers.

Over the past few months, thieves have targeted loads of copper, aluminium and steel.

In this incident the Polish driver was making a delivery at Trident Drive in Wednesbury at 6.30am on Monday, when the attack took place.

Pc Andy Round, who is part of the Operation Indicate HGV crime taskforce, said: “He locked the cab and took the keys, but then he was set upon by three men who punched him and kicked him. They then took the keys off him and drove away.”

The man suffered severe bruising and a suspected broken jaw and had to be treated in hospital following the attack.

The Mercedes Actros cab was recovered in Rugeley, Staffordshire, later that morning but the Grey Curtainside trailer, bearing foreign plates, WPR57WN, is still missing.

Pc Round said the lorry was carrying around half a million DVDs of old films.

He said foreign lorry drivers were particularly being targeted because the language barrier slowed down the process of them reporting the incidents to police.

According to figures obtained by the Express & Star recently, more than £3 million worth of vehicles and loads were taken in the West Midlands between April and June.