A SECOND senior politician has fallen victim to car-jackers in Greater Manchester.

Former leader of Rochdale council Allen Brett had his Peugeot 308 stolen after he was tricked into getting out of the car at traffic lights.

The incident comes less than a fortnight after it emerged Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese was subjected to a vicious attack by two men who drove off in his Mini Cooper.

Mr Brett was at a junction near the Kingsway Retail Park in Rochdale when three men pulled up alongside him in a car.

One of them wound down a window and shouted to Mr Brett that he had a puncture.

Gang

When the 62-year-old pulled up in Rochdale Road to check, one of the gang jumped into his Peugeot.

Mr Brett - who was the deputy chairman of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority as the congestion charge plan was being drawn up - tried to stop the theft but was pushed to the ground as the car-jacker sped off.

"You hear about car-jackings all the time, but people often think it won't happen to them," said Mr Brett.

"I left my engine running and I won't be doing that again so I hope people will learn from what happened to me."

The gang pounced just after 9.30pm on Tuesday, as Mr Brett was returning to his home from a meeting at the Labour Club in Rochdale.

A black bag, containing business papers, was also stolen by the car-jackers and police are appealing for witnesses.

Pounced

The suspects are three white men in their late teens or early 20s.

The M.E.N. revealed earlier this month how Sir Richard suffered a black eye in a car-jacking in Burnage.

Sir Richard had pulled over to the side of the road to get something out of the boot when two men pounced from behind.

They demanded his keys and there was a struggle in which the council leader was punched.

The thieves sped off and the Mini was later recovered in Moston, near Blackley.

Sir Richard described the car-jacking as a `very unpleasant experience' which left him `very shaken'.

Council leader in carjacking