An early morning drive in Rangiora took a concerning turn for a local woman who encountered a group of youths wearing balaclavas running towards her vehicle.

The woman said she was driving down Rangiora’s High Street, towards Oxford at 12:07 am on Friday when she spotted a group of three youths dressed in black near ASB Bank.

Moments later, she discovered three large dumpster bins across the road, effectively creating a roadblock.

“I stopped and got my phone out to take a photo as I thought it was very strange” she said.

However, the group of youths emerged and began running towards her car.

Fearing for her safety, she quickly turned around and drove off, taking a detour home.

“I was so scared as they were 100% going to try and carjack or even worse” she said.

The woman phoned 111.

Police confirmed to chrislynchmedia.com they responded to the call and patrolled the area but did not locate anyone involved.

Two other motorists have has since come forward, saying she saw three youths wearing balaclavas on Tuesday night in the same area.

The woman who encountered the roadblock said “There has been a huge amount of car break-ins lately in Rangiora.”

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