A man wielding a lump of wood has hijacked a 17.5-ton lorry with a valuable cargo.

The driver was accosted when his Volvo truck stopped at a roundabout on the A23 at Lowfield Heath, near Gatwick, yesterday.

He told police a man brandishing a large piece of wood leapt into the cab and threatened him.

The robber travelled with him for three miles north before forcing him out of the vehicle near Coulsdon.

The lorry driver, who had picked up stock from a Crawley business to take to London, was uninjured.

Police have not revealed the contents of the lorry but say they are worth several thousand pounds. The vehicle has not yet been recovered.

A police spokesman said: "This will be one of the things we are looking into.

"We need to hear from anyone who was in that area and may have seen a man lurking around. There must have been quite a few people around at the time."

The hijacker was about 30, 5ft 8in tall and wore a blue sweatshirt and jeans.

Anyone with information should call Gatwick CID on 0845 6070999.