A DRIVER was taken on a 46-mile terror ride through North Yorkshire after being abducted from the cab of an articulated lorry laden with whisky.

The man was dumped on the outskirts of York after the hijackers struck on the A1.

Police said the driver escaped unhurt, but was "very shaken" after his ordeal, in which thieves stole the his vehicle's trailer, complete with its cargo of drink.

The heist drama began at 7.45 last night when three men approached the lorry after it pulled up at a lay-by on the A1 at Scotch Corner.

Police said the three men bundled their terrified victim into the back of a white van before abandoning him in the Wigginton Road area of York.

The Renault lorry cab was dumped eight miles further on, at a caf between Deighton and Escrick on the A19 road to Selby.

Its missing blue and white trailer bore the name Geest, a brand name usually associated with bananas, but police confirmed it contained an undisclosed amount of whisky.

A police spokesman said such trailers often bore trade names unrelated to their contents.

Caf owner Cherie Shipley, 44, said: "Lorry-jackings seem to be happening all the time, but I was shocked when I saw the police tape.

"At first I thought there had been a murder!"

The caf boss said lorry drivers regularly stopped in the A19 lay-by near the food site.

She added: "Quite a few lorries park up here at night and they are never in any danger.

"They make sure they lock up their vans. They always have the doors locked."

Police were today due to speak to the driver, who comes from the Doncaster area, about his ordeal.

Forensic teams were at the caf early today

Scene-of-crime officer Tony Jefferson said the vehicle would be towed from the scene to a nearby garage so the cab could be scoured for fingerprints.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the Renault 420 truck -registration X908 EVS - last night and where its load is now should call police on 01609 783131.

News of the latest heist comes after a spate of similar incidents, some linked to the York area.

Updated: 10:50 Tuesday, October 28, 2003