A young mother from the Fens has been left traumatised after she was grabbed by the throat by a violent robber while sitting in her car in Bury St Edmunds.

Francesca Brown, 26, has described how the incident has left her having nightmares and sleepless nights.

On October 11 Ms Brown had pulled over to check her sat nav after getting lost when a man in his late twenties reached in and grabbed her around the neck, forcing her to hand over her purse before fleeing the scene with £95 cash.

The mother-of-two has decided to speak out about the incident, which happened at 12.30am on Newmarker Road, opposite Kwikfit, in the hope the robber will be caught before he attacks anyone else.

She said: “I didn’t see him coming. He just reached in and grabbed me. If I had not have given him the money, what would he have done

then?

“I’m still shaken up and having nightmares. I have nightmares that he is going to come back for me and my two young kids.

“I have been struggling to get to sleep at night, I keep thinking what if I had my kids in the car?”

Ms Brown, who has two daughters, aged six and three, lives near Wisbech, on the Cambrideshire/Norfolk border.

She said: “I visit a friend the other side of Bury quite often, but I don’t usually come back through the town.

“I was low on the fuel, I only went in to fill up at Asda and got lost. I had pulled up at the side of the road to check the sat nav on my mobile phone.

“He came out of nowhere and opened the door, grabbing me by the throat and demanded I hand over my purse.

“It was all over very quickly and I got a clear look at him, he seemed quite well dressed, not dirty or like he was sleeping rough.

“He was only after the cash, I had my iPhone 5 in my hand and he didn’t seem to want it.”

She added: “I don’t usually carry cash on me these days.

“I keep thinking what would he do to someone else if they didn’t have any money?

“I won’t go through Bury at that time of night again. I always lock my car now when I am in it, it has been very scary.”

The suspect is described as white, aged in his late twenties, with blonde hair shaved at the sides, and combed-over, and facial stubble. He was wearing a blue zip Adidas top and black jogging bottoms.

Police released an E-fit likeness of the perpetrator and along with Ms Brown, are appealing for anyone who has any information, or thinks they might recognise the offender, to come forward.

Please contact the Bury St Edmunds Priority Crime Team on 101 quoting reference BU/14/2962, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.