TWO drivers were bound and gagged at gunpoint in a £250,000 heist before their empty lorry was dumped on the edge of Newton.

The Slovakian men were found 'in a distressed state' by a member of the public, shortly after 6am, on Tuesday.

The lorry was hijacked in Northampton at around 1am and abandoned on the A49 Newton Road, near to the junction with Hollins Lane.

The curtain-sided lorry had been parked in a lay-by outside a Hilton Hotel near the M1. It contained a delivery of 500 plasma-screen televisions.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: "The two Slovakian drivers in the lorry saw a vehicle pull into the lay-by in front of them. The drivers were then approached by three or four men dressed in black caps or hoods who proceeded to get into their lorry and rough them up a little.

"A handgun was seen at this point and both drivers were subsequently tied up, bound and gagged."

It is believed they were driven in their lorry to an unknown location, where the televisions were unloaded.

Neither of the men spoke English so the police found it difficult to establish what had happened.

The men, who had cuts and bruises, were taken to Warrington Police Station to be interviewed by police with the help of an interpreter.

DC Mark McManus, investigating the incident for Warrington police, said: "It was quite a frightening experience for the men.

"They were kidnapped at gunpoint and driven 400 miles in a foreign country where they cannot speak a word of English."

The Newton and Winwick area was heavily congested as police cordoned off a small section of the A49.

Traffic coming into the town was diverted along Golborne Road.

Officers from Northamptonshire Police visited Warrington yesterday to take up the investigation into the hijack.

If anybody saw anything suspicious, police would like to hear from them on the Special Investigations Unit line 01244 350000 or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers 0800 555111.

ndocking@guardiangrp.co.uk