A TEENAGER was punched in the face and left barely conscious as a thief stole his parents' car in the early hours of Tuesday.

The 18-year-old was driving home through Appleton at 3.20am when he stopped at the traffic lights at the junction of London Road and Lyons Lane.

He was driving his parents' black Renault Clio and as he stopped at the lights he noticed a vehicle approaching in his rear view mirror with its headlights on full beam.

The car collided with the Clio and as the teenager got out of his car he was approached by a man - believed to be the driver of the other vehicle.

He was "struck severely" on the back of his head and knocked off balance before he was punched in the face and fell to the ground.

As he got back on his feet, his car was being driven away and police are keen to speak to the driver of a red Vauxhall Cavalier, either E-registered or F-registered, which was seen turning on to Lyons Lane just after the incident, as the driver may have witnessed the attack.

The attacker was a white man, 6ft tall and he was wearing a baseball cap, dark tracksuit bottoms and white trainers, possibly Lacoste.

The teenager suffered minor injuries including cuts to his face and was taken to Warrington Hospital as a precaution because he was knocked semi-conscious.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact PC Turner on 652222 or speak confidentially to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.