CONCERN is growing for the safety of drivers following further reports of men creepily approaching cars after stopping them in the road.

Last week the Gazette exclusively told of how Diane Redburn, 57, of Clacton, was viciously beaten inside her vehicle after coming to a sudden halt in Little Clacton Road.

The badly injured mum had stopped after spotting a figure in the road before another man forced his way into the passenger side of her car and unleashed an unrelenting attack.

Thankfully, she managed to escape the situation, which occurred on November 11, but was left shaking with fear, vomiting and unable to move after reaching a place of safety.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Diane Redburn after being attacked in her carDiane Redburn after being attacked in her car

Since her horrifying ordeal was made public, Essex Police have launched an investigation and other Clacton drivers have spoken of similar experiences.

Josh Lane, 29, a train conductor for Greater Anglia, was confronted by a strange man in Sladbury’s Lane while on his way home from work on Friday.

He said: “I just saw a silhouette of a person and then slammed the brakes on, because for all I knew it could have been a lost and confused elderly person.

“But then I thought that if you’re going to be stood in the middle of a country road in complete darkness something must be off.

“When he approached my car he didn’t appear aggressive or intimidating in any way but I waited until he was alongside my car before I took off.

“I did not jump to the conclusion I was in any danger but at the same time I wasn’t going to be getting out my car in the middle of the night whether he needed help or not.”

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Sladbury's LaneSladbury's Lane

During the early hours of November 13 a man also suddenly jumped into the middle of Tan Lane as Steve Bone, 39, was on his way to the gym.

His wife Kelly said: “He had to break and swerve to avoid him and he just got a really bad feeling as there is no reason for anyone to be down that road.

“My husband is not a small man and works out daily, so it is very rare to see him get freaked out, but he was shaken up.

“Who knows what these men want to do if someone lets them in.”

As a result of the reports concern has started to grow for the safety of those travelling around Clacton, but Essex Police do not believe the three cases are connected.

Speaking about one of the more recent reports, a spokesman for the force said: “We were informed of an incident that occurred in Clacton on the evening of November 19.

“It was reported to us that a man stepped in front of a car in Thorpe Road. An investigation has been started to establish what took place.

“Our initial investigations do not link it to any other incident.”