A CREWE man has been convicted of trying to kidnap two teenage girls using a stolen car in which police found a large kitchen knife, plastic gloves and a length of cord.

Graham Holden, 43, of West Street, Crewe, was found guilty of attempting to unlawfully take away two girls against their will at Chester Crown Court yesterday.

Prosecutor Meirion Lewis-Jones said: "We're dealing with a predator, a man who was preying on young women, and trying to get them into his car for purposes of his own that aren't too difficult to imagine."

The court heard that Holden had attempted to abduct a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old in separate incidents on consecutive nights in January this year.

He attempted to take the 16-year-old when she was walking along Crewe Road, Haslington, at 10.20pm on January 3.

Holden twice asked the girl to get in the car he was driving, and when she refused, he drove on and pulled into the road where she lived.

The 16-year-old rang her father for help using a mobile phone and took refuge on a neighbour's driveway as Holden approached her on foot.

When the neighbour answered the door, Holden returned to his car and fled.

Defending, Deni Matthews said Holden admitted encountering the girl, but did not ask her to get in the car.

Holden said he received a phone call about the girl causing trouble at a house he had been asked to look after, and had gone to investigate.

He said he approached the girl to find out what she had been doing, and shouted that he would not hurt her.

The court heard that the following day, Holden attempted to abduct a 17-year-old as she walked past Alvaston Hall Hotel in Middlewich Road at 9.50pm.

Holden twice asked the girl to get into the same stolen car, and when she refused, he drove onto the pavement and got out.

Holden then grabbed her arm, but the 17-year-old kicked his leg and threatened to call the police.

The girl told the court via videolink that Holden said he did not care about the police, and that he knew where the girl lived and would follow her.

The 17-year-old got away and called the police, who arrived promptly.

As the girl was talking to police, Holden drove past and was immediately pursued by the officers.

He was arrested in a nearby road following a struggle, and police found a kitchen knife, plastic gloves, a length of cord and a length of shoestring in the car.

Holden admitted stealing the car from a farm in Middlewich Road, Crewe, on the day of the first abduction attempt.

The owner of the car told the court he had never seen the knife before, and that a number of other items in the vehicle, including a bag full of women's underwear and a number of pictures of young girls, were also not his.

Denying the accusation, Holden said he did not grab the girl, and was offering her a lift as he was concerned for her safety walking alone at night.

Holden has been remanded in custody awaiting what Recorder Elgan Edwards said would be a substantial custodial sentence.