Police are concerned for the safety of a woman after she was seen being pushed into a silver BMW this morning which then drove off at high speed.

She was said by witnesses to be in a state of distress and officers are keen to trace both her and the driver.

A man was seen by several passers-by confronting the woman in Beaufort Road in Birkenhead just before 9am.

He then pushed the woman, whom he appeared to know, into the BMW and drove off at high speed towards the iron works at Corporation Road.

Several motorists and pedestrians witnessed the incident and called police as the woman appeared to be in distress.

Patrols are seeking the BMW, which had a registration beginning BX59.

Detective Inspector Mark Tivendale from Wirral CID said: "I am keen to hear from the woman who was in this car or anyone else who was inside it, or indeed saw a car like this in the area this morning.

"Clearly a member of the public has been concerned enough to call the police and we are keen to establish what has happened here and make sure the people involved are safe and well.

"Police officers have been knocking on doors to see if local people saw or heard anything and CCTV from local businesses is being viewed.

"Beaufort Road was busy at 9am this morning and I would encourage people to contact us if they witnessed anything suspicious or have any other information that could help us."

The driver was white , aged approximately 30, of slim to medium build with short cropped hair.

He was wearing a blue jumper, possibly with a white logo on it, and blue jeans.

The woman is also white, aged in her early 20s, around 5ft 6ins, of slim build with blonde, shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a grey top and had bare legs.

Call Wirral CID on 0151 777 2265 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.