A motorist has described how a man crept up the side of his car and then produced a large knife as he waited at traffic lights in the city.
The 37-year-old father-of-two, who has asked not to be identified, was on his way to collect a takeaway on Sunday evening when the suspected car-jacking attempt happened.
He was waiting in a line of cars at traffic lights at the Chesterfield Road and East Park Road junction, in Evington, at 7.30pm.
He said: "Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man come out of the passenger seat of the vehicle behind me and crawl alongside my car on the passenger side, like he was trying to reach the door handle.
"Luckily, my car's automatic locking was on and he couldn't get into the car. He came up a bit higher and was giving me a lot of verbal abuse and asking for money."
The incident took a more sinister twist when the man produced a knife and began banging the passenger door window of the BMW Series 1.
The driver said: "He began banging what I have described to police as an army knife with a six or seven-inch blade on the window.
"I put the car into first gear and, although I was only about 60 or 70cm from the car in front, I started to turn the wheel. I just wanted to get out of the position I was in.
"I then saw the man going back into the car behind me. At the crossroads, the car turned left down East Park Road. I went straight across and parked up in a side street to compose myself before going back home to tell my wife what had happened."
The driver, a legal risk and compliance manager, said the car the man climbed out of was an old, black Mitsubishi Shogun.
"He was the front seat passenger," said the motorist.
"He was white, about 5ft 10in, clean-shaven, with short, brown hair. He had a small scar on his right cheek and was wearing a grey top. He spoke with a local accent.
"His hands were all over the window as he was trying to wrench the door open."
He said a police forensic team had examined his car for evidence.
"I'm completely worn out, I've had about an hour's sleep. I felt very shocked and not with it and then I got angry, thinking 'what if my kids were in the car and the door had been unlocked?'.
"My family and friends can't believe it has happened. I just want this man caught."
Detective Constable Damian Young said: "We would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or saw a black Mitsubishi Shogun in that street about 7.25pm on Sunday evening.
"Officers have been carrying out extensive enquiries to identify the vehicle involved, house-to-house enquiries have been carried out and we are looking at CCTV footage.
"We are keen to speak to anyone who was in this area on Sunday evening.
"We've had no reports of similar incidents, however if anyone was approached in the same way and haven't reported it to the police we would encourage you to come forward."
