A MAN suffered a heart attack days after a violent road rage attack on the car he was in with his wife.

The couple had just left a family function in the Sirloin pub, Chingford, at around 9.30pm on Friday 11 November when a car drove towards them at speed on the wrong side of the road.

The vehicle swerved around them and, though they were shaken, they continued driving down Friday Hill to the roundabout at Hatch Lane.

Mr Wilson (not his real name) said: "It was a real shock at first but I thought the situation was behind us. When we got to the roundabout though, the same car pulled up in front of us and forced us to stop. The driver must have overtaken us on the way down."

The terrified couple locked their doors when the skinhead jumped out and approached them, leaving two friends in the car.

Mrs Wilson described the attack: "It was horrible. The driver came up to us and began abusing us, shouting and swearing and threatening us.

"He was banging on the roof, he punched the wing mirror and smashed it and began kicking in the driver's side door. Then he started shaking the car from side to side."

Mrs Wilson called 999 on her mobile phone by which time the man was leaving, but the police said there was nothing they could do if he had gone.

The couple returned home, but two days later Mr Wilson had a heart attack and spent several days in hospital. The couple believe it was caused by the stress of the incident.

Mr Wilson returned home last week and his wife said: "It was a very frightening experience and we wanted to warn other people to take care if they are faced with the same threat."

A police spokeswoman said: "The victims did the right thing in keeping the doors locked and calling the police.

"We are asking members of the public who may have seen the incident to come forward with information."

Police are looking for a white man, a skinhead aged about 25, 6ft tall with a stocky build. He was driving a cream-coloured Peugeot car.

Anyone with information about the incident on Friday, November 11, should call police on 8529 8666.