Police believe would-be robbers may have staged a fake roadside emergency to lure a potential victim.

A nurse driving to work stopped to help after she was waved down by one of four men next to an old silver Ford Escort pulled over on a country road.

One of them was lying on the footpath and appeared to be injured or ill and the other two were kneeling beside him.

The man who waved asked to borrow the nurse's mobile phone to call for help but when she said she would call for him he lunged at the car, trying to get the driver's door open.

As the woman drove off, receiving a torrent of abuse, she saw that the "injured'' man was on his feet.

The incident happened at about 12.40pm on Tuesday on the A182 between Easington Village and South Hetton, County Durham, as the woman, in her mid-thirties, was heading for Tyneside.

Police say the woman was wary and locked her car doors as a precaution when she slowed down but opened her window. Detective Constable Brian Roberts, of Peterlee CID, said the men had gone to some trouble to stage an incident that would get a passing driver to stop.

"I don't think they would have gone to all that trouble just to snatch a mobile phone.

"Perhaps they intended to hijack the car but at this stage we can only speculate.

"The victim was wary about what she was confronted with and thankfully took the precaution of locking the car doors.

"This may not have been a one-off and we would like to hear from anyone else who might have been subject to the same ruse.''

The man who waved the nurse down is in his early twenties, has blond spiky hair and the bridge of his nose is flat or slightly squashed.

He was wearing a gold watch chain around his neck, a white T-shirt with a motif and spoke with a strong local accent.

Anyone who recognises the description or saw the incident take place should call Peterlee police station on 0191-586 2621.