7:00am Saturday 5th July 2008
By Juliette Astrup
A BRAVE mum has told how she narrowly avoided being mown down by thieves she confronted stealing her partner's lovingly-restored car.
Kerry White, of Hasler Road, Poole, was forced to leap out of the way when they drove the 1983 Ford Cortina straight at her as she tried to stop them escaping just before midnight on Thursday.
The 28-year-old said: "I ran out into the middle of the road and slammed my hands on the bonnet and shouted get out of the car.' "They reversed it, then aimed it straight at me. I jumped and just got out of the way.
"I managed to grab the corner of the bonnet. I was trying to push myself off, but I ended up running up the road holding on.
"When they got to the roundabout they just put their foot down. I let go, but I smacked my head on the car as it was speeding up. I think I was really, really lucky."
She added: "The only thing going through my head was my nine-year-old daughter who was still asleep in the flat. I'm just so glad I came off lightly."
Kerry said she raced out in just a dressing gown and underwear after hearing the thieves, and tried to head them off at nearby Tollerford Road.
Her partner Graham Danson, a 29-year-old mechanic, had only just finished restoring the car after a year's work.
Kerry added: "He basically rebuilt it. He'd only just got the MOT and insurance.
"I knew how much he loved it, and all the work and time he'd put in - I just wanted to stop them. That was my first reaction."
Graham told the Echo: "The car's gone, but she's still here - and that's the main thing. I'm just glad she's alright."
Kerry was taken to Poole Hospital and treated for concussion and is now recovering at home.
The distinctive estate vehicle is white, with blacked-out rear windows, alloy wheels and lowered suspension Police are looking for two white men in their late teens or early 20s. The driver was wearing a grey long-sleeved jacket and baseball cap, and the front seat passenger was wearing a long-sleeved dark top or jacket.
Detective Constable Sarah-Jane Gedge of Poole police said: "This was a callous act by the thieves and I'm committed to finding the two men who were seen driving off in the car."
Anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 01202 222222.
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