A DRIVING instructor says a motorist “tried to strangle” him through his car window in an alleged road rage attack.

Lee Francis sent dashcam footage to the police of his confrontation with another driver at traffic lights on Canterbury Road, Worcester, in which the man appears to grab him round the throat.

Mr Francis, 44, said the motorist overtook him while he was going around a bend on a 20mph road, before he got out to confront him at some traffic lights.

“I’m doing 20mph and he comes overtaking me on a bend. I’m thinking: what’s so good about you that you can overtake me like that, and by breaking the law?

“It was the school holidays and children often play out there.”

A little further down the road both motorists were forced to stop at a red light and Mr Francis, who was alone in the car, decided to approach the man.

“He opened the window, and he knew he’d done wrong,” said Mr Francis, who has been teaching learner drivers in the city for 13 years.

“He said: ‘You’ve got two options – walk away or stay and you’ve got a problem.’ “Then he jumped out of his window and tried to strangle me.”

Returning to his car and turning off down Ripon Road, Mr Francis came to a stop to call the police.

He said the motorist then looped round and drove down Ripon Road the opposite way towards him, before getting out of his car to confront him – shaking the locked driver side door handle.

The incident took place in August and, despite reporting it to police immediately, “nothing was looked into for two months”, Mr Francis said.

Then, two weeks ago, he said he was told by police that, having interviewed a suspect and reviewed a witness statement and dashcam footage from another vehicle, no further action would be taken.

“I read that as no matter what I show them, they are not interested,” he said.

“When somebody thinks it’s okay to put their hands around your throat – I just think what if it was one of my pupils having just passed their test? It’s not right,” he added.

West Mercia Police Superintendent Kevin Purcell said: “I am aware of the incident involving Mr Francis, and I understand his frustration.

“It’s clear that his complaint must be investigated thoroughly, and I am ensuring that happens. As both this process and the investigation into the incident are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”