1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
Trucker is 'lucky to be alive'
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• by Chris Tindall
A truck driver who took on a group of hijackers and was subjected to a terrifying ordeal says he is lucky to be alive.
Billy Mclvor was left battered and bruised following the attack in a lay-by near Carlisle on 10 July. Police are now hunting three men in connection with the assault and attempted theft of a truckload of wine and spirits.
The incident took place around lam near the Metal Bridge on the 474. The 45-yearold ex-army driver heard a loud bang outside his Daf six-wheeler and spotted a man trying to slash the curtains of the HGV in front. Mclvor was pulled out of his truck by another man when he began shouting at them. The men demanded to know who he worked for and what he was carrying. "They called me a liar: one put a hand round my neck and told me they were going to take my load," Mclvor says.
The driver was taken to the rear of his truck, where a white 7.5-tonne curtainsider was parked. Mclvor claims he told the men his kids were in the cab and when one of the men went to check he punched a
huacker—who he describes as a 5'10" man with glasses and a Geordie accent—and ran.
However, he was grabbed and dragged back towards some nearby bushes and was told he was going to die. He managed to break free again and ran to a nearby farmhouse.
"I am a little fat Scotsman and i was stupid, but all I was interested in was getting away,' he adds.
Cumbria police is calling for witnesses or anyone with any information to contact them on 0175131391999.
• christophertindall(ffrbi.co.uk