A 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulting after mistaking a car for a taxi yesterday, police said.

An appeal for witnesses has been made after the victim was attacked, following an incident which began at the junction of Sagar Street and Broadway, Nelson.

She got into a silver car, thinking it was a cab, according to police, at around 3am after a night out in the town.

But the driver, said to be a chubby Asian man in his early 20s, took her to the Edge End Lane area and molested her.

Detectives say the victim managed to escape and raise the alarm at a nearby house. But police are now asking women to be vigilant.

Det Insp Jes Holland said the incident had left the victim ‘distraught, and asked for potential witnesses to call police on 101.