Police hunt axemen who robbed bank
AXE-WIELDING robbers who raided a town centre bank in broad daylight got away with just hundreds of pounds.
Police are continuing to hunt the masked gang who forced staff to open the cashier section of Lloyds TSB's Longton branch on The Strand yesterday afternoon.
Witnesses have described how terrified staff and customers were ordered to lie on the floor as crooks stormed in just after 2pm.
But it is believed the robbers fled prematurely after being spooked by a police car which was stuck in traffic outside the bank while on an unconnected patrol.
They then sped off in a stolen grey-coloured Seat Leon, which was later found abandoned in nearby Foley Road.
Denise Deakin was at home in Foley Road when she heard a car screech to a halt.
The 40-year-old said: "I thought someone must have been knocked down so I looked out of the window and saw four men running up Power Grove with large stick-like weapons in their hands.
"They just dumped the car half on the pavement and there were skid marks all over the road."
One witness said she froze with fear after seeing the robbers emerge from a car and run into the bank brandishing axes and hammers.
The woman, who had just finished her shift at Lloyds Pharmacy next door to the bank, said: "There were about three or four of them and I remember seeing one who had what looked like a lump hammer in his hand.
"They ran into the bank and there was a lot of shouting and screaming and people were told to get on the floor and I think a couple of people were physically dragged by their hair.
"There was a police car stuck in traffic outside the bank and one of the robbers came out and took a swing at it with his hammer, but missed.
"The others then ran out of the bank and dived into what must have been their getaway car and they sped off."
Within minutes, police cars arrived to cordon off the scene and the force helicopter also took to the skies to search for the gang.
Two people were taken to hospital with minor injuries following the raid.
Detective Inspector Jason O'Toole said: "At the moment it looks as if they have stolen hundreds rather than thousands of pounds.
"A police car was driving down the road at the time of the robbery and it looks like one of the gang members has seen the vehicle and alerted the others, and that is when they have made their getaway.
"A member of staff at the bank was taken to hospital for treatment for shock and a man outside the bank was treated after one of the robbers hit him on his side with a hammer as he took down the vehicle's registration plate."
Anyone with information is asked to call Stoke-on-Trent CID on 0300 123 44 55 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
Story filed in: Staffordshire Police | News | Longton
9 Comments
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by dave, UK
Monday, July 06 2009, 7:31PM
“bhjo: my understanding is it was a lump or sledgehammer used to smash the windscreen - not something anyone would want to face when used in a threatening manner, even if it is considered part of your job! Plus (with hindsight) , you can reconsider the situation, but consider it at the time: balaclava'd thug smashes your windscreen outside a bank in full daylight - what's going on inside the bank, and how many other thugs are in there, plus what are they armed with?? The police would take minutes to get there simply because it's the middle of the afternoon in the middle of Longton.
It's called traffic.
Someone close to me was in the bank when this happened, and the fact the police car was out there spooked those thugs enough for them to get out quickly, and I'm thankful for that as it could have been worse.
The police aren't superheroes, they're trained to do a job - part of which involves assessing the situation and then taking the relevant action. I have no doubt the officer(s) in question "called it in", as were a number of other people in the immediate vicinity. I would be disappointed otherwise.
Raymond: they hit the man noting the reg number because he was standing up to them - bully response, also stops other people standing up to them. Besides, provides another distraction for the getaway.
Warren: they apparently had local accents, and I agree totally that they need catching. And when they're caught they should be locked up and the key thrown away.
They obviously didn't care about the people they traumatised - those in the bank, those outside, people like me who discovered what had happened well after the event..
It's strange thinking back. When the robbery took place I was at work having my half-yearly review.
The person I know who was in there was watching friends being dragged by their hair and threatened with crowbars & hammers, and all the time being subjected to intimidating shouted verbal abuse & threats of what could happen.
Puts a lot of things in perspective.
I read that the nearby Tesco's also got attacked today - coincidentally, a cash delivery took place shortly beforehand......hmm.
The bstds neeed to be caught - they're targetting public places & putting everyone at risk.
La de da, I agree with you totally.”
by Gertrude Windsor, Trentham
Saturday, July 04 2009, 8:22AM
“People rob banks in every city in every country in the world, Ken. Are you really oblivious to this?”
by Ken Williams, Johannesburg, South Africa
Saturday, July 04 2009, 7:31AM
“What`s happening over there? I thought it was only here in Johannesburg that we had violent crime.
Ken Williams ( ex Sneyd Green)”
by Warren, Meir
Friday, July 03 2009, 6:04PM
“All I said was try in a port city in the North West of England, at the mouth of the river Mersey, and only a hours fast drive up the M6. The one with two football teams, one that plays in red, the other in blue and white. The city that The Beatels came from, and people who think they are all funnie but most are just ruddy anoying and most have police records as lang as your arm, and I get the edit.”
by bhjo, stoke
Friday, July 03 2009, 2:35PM
“i dont understand one point in this article; if there was a police car outside the bank and an offender took a swipe at it with a hammer, why was he not arrested there and then? why did it take officers a few minutes to get there when they were parked outside???”