Police are investigating an attempted theft of a car in which two young children were sleeping on Saturday.

The incident happened around 11.30am when a driver in his mid 20s pulled over and parked his Ford Mondeo car in a layby close to the turning for Swan Hill.

The man’s two young children were aslepp in the car at the time when he pulled over and got out of his car for a cigarette.

A white van – possible a Mercedes Spinter with a 55 registration – approached and pulled up in front of the car.

The van driver asked the man if he had something stuck in his wheel.

The man approached the back of the van to have a look when a second man opened the car door and got into the drivers seat.

The victim has then ran to his car and started to pull the man out.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said there was a struggle before the victim was struck in the face, although he was not injured.

He managed to get the man out of his vehicle before the offender then ran back to the van and it pulled away, turning into Swan Hill.

Officers are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the incident or has any information.

The van driver is white, aged in his mid 30s to early 40s, of medium build, and wearing a blue baseball cap with a NY Yankee logo in white on the front and a dark jumper,

The man who sat in the car is described as white, aged in his 20s to early 30s, of slim build, around 5ft 7ins tall, wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and glasses which may have been broken in the struggle.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.