The man at the centre of Birmingham’s “bomb car” scare was snatched off a  Moseley street and beaten before being bundled into a car and warned he had been wired to explosives.

The terrified victim in his 30s, spent at least seven hours lying in a Nissan Micra with his hands bound and gas canisters strapped to his chest.

He was today being treated in hospital for a suspected broken leg after being rescued from the vehicle, which was dumped at the junction of Landor Street and Clarel Drive, on Sunday evening.

Officers are due to interview him properly after he was initially too distressed to talk.

Detectives revealed a gang pounced on the man as he walked along Wake Green Road, in Moseley, in the early hours of Sunday.

Police said he was bundled into a blue car and taken to an unknown location where he was threatened by a number of men and assaulted before being tied up in the Micra.

He remained in the car, too frightened to move, until he was spotted by a passing truck driver at about 10.20am on Sunday. He was eventually freed at about 5pm.

Police said the car, registration number R230 ECX, was sold by its previous owner three weeks earlier and officers said they were anxious to know where it had been stored since then.

Meanwhile, investigating officers also sought to quash speculation that the incident was gang related. It is though it may be linked to an on-going dispute

Det Insp Julian Grant, from Kings Heath CID, said: “Inquiries are moving forward at some speed, but at this stage we do not believe the victim was a member of any gang or that the crime is gang related.”

Officers also appealed to owners of camping shops and hardware store who may have sold between eight and ten gas canisters in recent days.

Det Insp Grant said: “If anyone sold a significant number of these small blue gas canisters used for camping we want to hear from them.

He added: “The man has suffered a frightening ordeal and we will not rest until we have found those responsible.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Kings Heath CID on 0845 113 5000.