A WOMAN shop assistant was terrorised by a road rage attacker who kicked and banged her car door and screamed obsecnities at her.

Rachel Bulmer, a 29-year-old shop assistant at Asda's Monks Cross store, was left petrified by the violent attack.

Mrs Bulmer has appealed for anyone who may know who her attacker is to contact police - and has warned he could strike again if not caught.

The attack took place at around 5pm on Saturday when Mrs Bulmer had finished her shift and was on her way home to St Wilfred's Road, Strensall. She had pulled out of the Asda car park and entered the nearby roundabout to turn right, which appeared to annoy the driver behind her.

The man, who had been driving a light coloured Peugeot with an A, K or L registration, drove up close to Mrs Bulmer's bumper, gave her a dirty look, then left the roundabout without indicating.

He then approached Mrs Bulmer on foot as she queued in traffic at the next roundabout and began screaming obscenities at her and telling her she could not drive.

He kicked and banged on the passenger door of Mrs Bulmer's white Hyundai Pony and tried to get inside for several minutes until she was able to speed off.

"Thankfully he couldn't get into the passenger door. I shouted at him to leave me alone then noticed I was holding up the traffic and drove off as fast as I could.

He was running after me, but I just sped away," she said.

"It was only after I pulled away from the roundabout that I started shaking and the tears came down. When I got home I realised how fortunate I had been - if the passenger door had been open he would have attacked me. I was only glad my two girls weren't in the car - they often sit in the passenger seat. What if he had got to one of them?

"I was absolutely petrified. I didn't deserve what happened. I saw his car coming from the right when I pulled onto the roundabout and knew there was enough room to get out.

"I've been driving 11 years and I'm not stupid. I might have been a bit tired and I wanted to get home, but I knew I was safe to pull out and not causing any danger to anyone else on the road.

"If I had made a mistake I would have apologised to him. It's so frightening that he reacted like that. I'll be so wary from now on."

Mrs Bulmer appealed to other drivers who witnessed the attack to contact police with information.

"The complex was very busy at the time. I want to jog people's memory because if this man gets away with it, he'll do it again," she said.

A police spokesman said: "This was a road rage attack which could have had very serious consequences - luckily the car doors were locked, but the man went virtually ballistic and left the woman extremely terrified. There must be witnesses as this was a very busy time and there was a lot of traffic about."

He appealed for information from witnesses or people who may know the man - described as white, six feet tall with short dark swept back hair. He wore dark jeans and is described as being around 40-years-old with a slim build.

Anyone with information should contact Strensall police on 669497 or York police on 631321.

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