KIDNAP victim Lorna August has spoken out for the first time about her terrifying ordeal at the hands of bank robbers.

Ms August said: "It was a horrifying ordeal. I am just thankful that I got out of it relatively all right and not hurt."

Ms August spoke out in a statement made through police. She continued: "I appreciate all the concern and support of the press and the public. Headlines like 'Brave Lorna' have been very helpful to me.

"I am a private person and just want to help the police catch these men as quickly as possible. I now want to get my life back to normality."

Ms August, 23, girlfriend of Kevin Paxton, assistant manager of the High Wycombe branch of the National Westminster bank, was snatched from her home in Aylesbury at 8am on June 26. She escaped after she was tied up and dumped in Park Wood, in Smalldean Lane, near Naphill, by the kidnappers, who contacted the bank and demanded money for her safe return. A refuse bag containing two holdalls was discovered by officers in a dustbin in Corporation Street, High Wycombe.

A police spokesman said: "We can reveal that the kidnappers telephoned the National Westminster bank from a public phone box at High Wycombe railway station and demanded the money. When they rang the bank at 9.30am, they said the bags were left in the bin and they asked Mr Paxton to collect the bags and fill them up with money."

Ms August escaped at around 10.30am. No money was handed over to the kidnappers.

Police have constructed two e-fits of the kidnappers which they will be releasing to the press on Tuesday next week when a reconstruction of the crime will be shown on BBC's Crimewatch.

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