A knife was pulled on a hospital worker in North Belfast during an attempted hijacking, police said.
It happened shortly after midnight on the Crumlin Road as the woman was returning to her car in Fleetwood Street near the Mater hospital.
A PSNI statement said: “As she approached it, a male ran towards her and so she attempted to get into the vehicle quickly and lock the doors.
“However, he grabbed the door handle before she was able to do so, swore at her and told her to get out of the vehicle.
“She fought back against the assailant who then pulled a knife which is described as being six to seven inches in length.
“He threatened her and caught her arm with the knife, ripping the sleeve of her jacket. The woman, who is in her 20s, then ran back towards the hospital to raise the alarm.
“Although she was not physically injured in the incident, she was left very shocked by what happened.”
Her attacker is described as being 5ft 5in in height, of skinny build and wearing a dark-coloured hat or hood. He was also wearing a dark tracksuit with stripes down the arms of the top and dark bottoms.
He was not wearing gloves, was clean-shaven with some stubble and spoke with a Belfast accent.
The PSNI added: “This was a frightening episode for this woman to experience as she finished a hospital shift helping others and we are appealing to the public for help.
“We believe the man left Fleetwood Street and made his way up the Antrim road to the Vicinage Park area where he was picked up by a silver-coloured car.”
