A prominent council leader has been attacked by hijackers who ambushed him and stole his car in inner city Manchester.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, suffered a black eye when he was attacked by two men as he pulled over to open the boot of his distinctive Mini-Cooper.

The attack happened at lunchtime on January 2 but the car was not recovered until last Sunday in Moston.

Police said that Sir Richard was confronted by the two men, who demanded that he hand over his car keys. The two men were able to wrest the keys from the politician and sped away in his vehicle.

Officers believe that the car, which is quite distinctive with light-blue bodywork and a white roof, had ben followed for some time before he was ambushed.

Sir Richard was taken to hospital as a precaution, where he received treatment for his injury.

The two men were described as black, well built, about 5ft 11ins to 6ft tall, both in their late late teens to early twenties and wearing dark sports clothing. Officers have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.

It is known that a gang of professional car hijackers has been operating in South Manchester and the commuter belt in Cheshire.

Detective Constable Andrew Langlands, of Longsight CID, said: "This was a nasty and unprovoked attack on a man simply going about his day."

Sir Richard, the leader of the ruling Labour group on the council, has been an important figure in Manchester's resurgence and has backed big capital projects as a trigger for wider economic revival.

He said: "It was a very unpleasant experience which left me very shaken and with minor injuries. I hope that the perpetrators are caught so that no one else becomes a victim and suffers this kind of assault."

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