ALMOST £300,000 worth of televisions were stolen in a lorry hijacking near Huntingdon.Three men forced the driver of a white Iveco Strelis lorry into the back of his cab at about 2.45am on Wednesday morning (March 14), while it was parked in a layby off

ALMOST £300,000 worth of televisions were stolen in a lorry hijacking near Huntingdon.

Three men forced the driver of a white Iveco Strelis lorry into the back of his cab at about 2.45am on Wednesday morning (March 14), while it was parked in a layby off the A14.

The men then drove the lorry to Merseyside, with the driver lying in the back of the cab under a duvet, before unhooking the trailer and unloading one of the containers.

The cab of the lorry was driven to a hotel in Whiston, near Liverpool, where the terrified driver was released, unhurt, and the cab set alight.

A second container, still with its load, was later recovered by police in Walton, Liverpool.

Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the theft of the lorry, the unloading of the cargo, or the cab being set alight. Police also want to hear from anyone who may have been offered a stolen television.

DC Karin Peters said: "Fortunately the driver of the lorry was not hurt, but he was left terrified by the ordeal.

"We know there were at least three other HGVs parked in the same layby off the A14 and the drivers of those vehicles may have seen or heard something that could help our investigation.

"I would also like to hear from anyone who may have been offered one of these televisions, which are specifically designed for use in caravans and motor homes. If you run a caravan club or sell caravans or motor homes and have been offered one of these televisions at a cheap price, please contact your local police station."

In total, 776 televisions were stolen from one container. Of these, 404 were silver coloured 15" LCD televisions (model number W152T) with a retail price of £329; 372 were white LCD televisions (model number W152D) with built in DVD players with a retail price of £429. The total value of the load was £292,504.