A TEENAGER was assaulted by three men who drove her from Bewdley into countryside outside the town and then left her there.

It happened after the victim, who is in her late teens, got into a dark, five-door car, which stopped alongside her in Bewdley High Street. This took place some time between 10pm and 11.15pm on Thursday, May 24, just after the junction of Lax Lane heading away from the town centre.

She had just walked from Severnside South through an alleyway into the high street after spending the evening there with friends.

The men in the car spoke briefly to her before driving her from the scene out of Bewdley along the B4194 - known locally as the Switchback.

After assaulting her in countryside somewhere off that road she was left in darkness to make her own way home while the offenders drove off.

The victim was left with cuts, bruising and grazes but did not require medical treatment. She used her mobile phone to call a friend who drove out to collect her from the roadside as she walked back towards Bewdley.

Officers are now conducting house-to-house inquiries in the town centre and gathering CCTV footage.

Detective Inspector Dean Jones of Kidderminster CID said: "The victim remembers that two of the men were white and that the vehicle had an older-style, square-ish appearance rather than a sleek modern design. The driver was alone in the front with the others in the back of the car.

"We are urgently seeking information from anyone who might be able to help us identify these men or the vehicle involved.

"Bewdley had been particularly busy that day because there were a lot of people in town earlier for the Olympic torch relay celebrations. We would like to hear from anyone who was in the area between 10pm and midnight on May 24 who might have either seen the victim being approached by the car in Bewdley High Street, saw anything unusual on the B4194, or noticed a girl walking on that road late that night.

"The slightest detail could be important to our inquiries so please get in touch."

Detectives can be contacted at Kidderminster CID on 101, quoting incident reference 59-N-290512, or information can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.