A man was brutally thrown to the ground by a thief before he made off in his stolen van in Shotts.

The victim had parked his Ford Transit outside a Chinese takeaway on Station Road before the culprit violently pushed him to the ground and fled the scene in his stolen vehicle. 

The van driver was not injured but obviously shaken by the incident.

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Officers are appealing to the public for information surrounding the assault and theft. 

It's understood the thief made off towards the roundabout at Calderside Garage.

The suspect is described as white, in his 20s where he has been described wearing dark clothing and either a hat or a hood.

Detective Constable Sharon McBride, Wishaw CID, said: "We believe that this was an opportunist crime as the man had just stepped out of his van when he was pushed to the ground and the van stolen.

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"Station Road is a busy area and I am sure that someone would have seen the van driven at speed - initially with the driver's door wide open, towards Benhar Road, possibly heading towards Salsburgh.

"If you have any information about the incident or the van, which has no identifiable markings, then please contact police at Wishaw via 101 quoting reference number 3742 of 27 July, 2020, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where details can be given in confidence."