Store knife raid in Chippenham (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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Newsagents staff are threatened with six-inch blade by robber
7:00am Thursday 12th April 2012 in Chippenham
William Taylor and PCSO Geoff Biddall from Chippenham police outside McColl’s in Redland where the raid took place
Staff have spoken of their terror after a raider threatened them with a knife before fleeing with cash from the tills.
Police now believe the theft, at McColl’s in Redland, Chippenham, at 5pm on Monday, is linked to robberies at two newsagents in Corsham last week.
Assistant manager Faye Green said: “The only two people working here were the manager and the supervisor and they’re really shaken up. When I saw the CCTV footage, I actually felt physically sick. It was so frightening for them.”
One man, who had his hood up and his face covered by a scarf, entered the shop while it was empty, while it is believed the second waited outside on a motorbike.
Ms Green said: “He had been hiding behind the lottery stand, and then he came at them brandishing a knife.
“It was a really sharp-looking one, about six inches long. He demanded they open both the tills and put the notes into a bag.”
Both employees emptied their tills before throwing the bag back to the assailant, who left the shop.
“They were both really shaken up, but we’re all really close here and they’ve been back at work already instead of taking time off,” said Ms Green.
“The robber only managed to steal £220 from the tills. It just doesn’t seem worth it.”
Tony Knaggs, owner of neighbouring Harris Laundromat, is also the owner of a newsagents in Woodlands Road, which was robbed two years ago.
He said: “It’s quite distressing,” he said. “These things are always a constant threat.
“We are constantly aware and when we heard about it in the shop yesterday the first thing we did was to be a bit more vigilant and not keep money in the till. You tend to lapse but this kind of thing brings it all back.”
Police are appealing for witnesses who saw a motorbike outside of the shop at the time of the incident. The driver was wearing a white helmet. He picked up a pillion who was also wearing a white helmet, before riding up Brook Street towards Hungerdown Lane.
An 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old man from the Chippenham area have been arrested in connection with the incident but not yet charged.
Witnesses can call 101.
