Lorry hijacks double

Hijackings of lorries in the West Midlands have almost doubled in a year as gun-wielding gangs repeatedly target truckers on the region's roads, new figures today revealed.

A worrying new report has found terror attacks on lorries are on the increase, with the M6 highlighted as a hotspot. Nineteen HGVs were attacked last year compared to 11 in 2005.The figures have been revealed in the annual report of Truckpol, the West Midland-based taskforce set up to fight freight crime. The report also reveals how:

Criminals are increasingly masquerading as police to pull drivers over and attack them;

Gangs have staged collisions to force truckers to stop;

Lorry drivers themselves are sometimes involved in the scams;

A criminal network was smashed in Walsall when officers found six men dismantling a stolen lorry.

Det Con Andrew Round, who heads up Truckpol, said a staggering £105 million was lost in the UK last year through crimes against lorries.

And he believes increased security on vehicles may be the reason gangs are resorting to violence.

"Because vehicles are being made more secure it is increasingly difficult for the gangs to get what they want.

"It's because of this they may be resorting to using firearms, stunguns and other weapons."

Nationally there were 129 hijackings during 2006.

The M25 has been named as the worst road for attacks in the country, but the M5 and M6 have also been identified as hotspots for hijackings.