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Raiders tunnel into pawnbrokers

Paul Britton
28/11/2007

A GANG of armed robbers tunnelled up through the floor of a pawnbrokers from the cellar in an £80,000 cash and jewellery raid.

Three men, wearing fluorescent jackets and face masks, then lay in wait for two women workers to arrive at the Goldman Sterling Ltd shop on Bury New Road in Sedgley Park, Prestwich.

One robber then held a knife to the throat of one of the women before the other was dragged to the floor. Both were then forced to open a safe.

The gang fled in a waiting car in the direction of Hilton Lane with about £50,000 in jewellery and £30,000 cash, police said.

The owner, who asked not to be named, described the robbery as `professional and well planned' and said that the women were left `extremely traumatised'.

Thieves escaped with £7,500 in an earlier raid in September after smashing through a reinforced front door.

The owner said: "They have obviously planned it well.

"There is a basement underneath our premises and they broke into that, then tunnelled up through the floorboards into a back room.

"They were waiting for the staff to arrive."

The raid was caught on CCTV and video is now being studied by detectives.

It captured the moment the men broke through the floorboards of the back room.

The gang removed floor tiles to create a hole about 3ft by 2ft wide and the men are then seen hauling themselves through the gap just minutes before the women opened the shop. They pounced as the workers switched on the lights and walked into the room.

The owner added: "A knife was put up against the throat of one of the women and the other woman was dragged to the floor. Then they were made to open up the safe and then locked in a room.

"It was not just a one-off, it was very, very well planned.

"The women are both traumatised."

They were rescued by police after one of them managed to press a `panic alarm' switch.

The owner of the business revealed that his CCTV had captured the men lurking behind the shop the night before.

None of the women were hurt in the raid, which happened at 10am yesterday.

Police are appealing for witnesses.