A traumatised member of staff has been unable to return to work after a gang attacked the Hull petrol station where they worked with a sledgehammer.

Patrick Sewell, managing director of Top 50 Indie Sewell on the go, said the attack on the group’s Holderness Road branch in Hull, which was caught on CCTV, was the worst he had seen during 20 years in the business.

Three masked robbers armed with a sledgehammer smashed their way into the shop and stole £1,000 of cash, cigarettes and alcohol at 1.40am on August 12.

The terrified member of staff was forced to seek refuge in the back of the store as the gang raided the shelves.

Sewell told the Hull Daily Mail: “They came up and hit a sledgehammer through the front door, and after several attempts of banging it they were able to get entry to the site.

“They scared my poor member of staff to death from what they were doing, and they proceeded to steal as much or anything they could find. I have seen the footage and it was appalling.”

He said his member of staff had been unable to return to work following the attack, explaining: “They have not felt comfortable to return.

“I can only sympathise and empathise with my member of staff, who has been a very good one and they are understandably very upset.

“They are just trying to make an honest living and earn some money. They are doing the right thing but are the ones hurt by people doing things like this.”

The three people involved were described as being in sportswear, with one wearing a dark, waist length jacket and black tracksuit bottoms with large, white stripes and writing up the left leg.

The second attacker was wearing a grey Nike hooded top, worn inside out, dark bottoms and blue, yellow and grey socks as gloves. The third person was in a grey hooded top with three stripes down the arms, believed to be Adidas.

Humberside Police said three people arrested in connection with the burglary have been released unconditionally and they are continuing to appeal for information.

Police have asked anybody who has information about the attack to call 101, quoting crime reference number DP/2206863.

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