Two staff hurt during Accrington robbery

Two members of staff were hurt during a knifepoint robbery at a filling station in Accrington, Lancashire.

At about 9.40pm on Sunday, March 20th, two men entered the Spar store of the forecourt on Burnley Road, and one grabbed a female member of staff from behind and demanded she open the tills.

After she had done this he dragged her to a staff office and ordered her to open a safe, before producing a silver-handled kitchen knife.

He took money from the safe and fled. Meanwhile, the second man had begun to empty the tills on the shopfloor.

A male member of staff, who had been in the stock room, entered the shopfloor to find the robbery in progress.

He attempted to call the police but the second offender swung a weapon towards him which broke the staff member’s phone and hurt his hand.

The two men made off from the store down Burnley Road in the direction of Cambridge Street and Windsor Street.

They were both in dark clothing and wearing face coverings, which they may have removed as they made off from the scene.

Detective sergeant Andy Horne of Blackburn CID said: “This was a very serious incident which has left two members of staff extremely shaken.

“The female member of staff is bruised and sore from being manhandled around the store, while the male member of staff was left with injuries to his hand which he sustained while being stopped from calling the police.

“These are two people simply doing their jobs who have been put through an incredibly traumatic experience.

“We believe there were a lot of people in the area, including in the shop’s car park and forecourt, who may have seen something that could help us with our enquiries.

“There could also have been people in the area who saw the men running away from the shop, possibly removing their face coverings as they went.

“We would urge anybody who was in the area at the time who could help with our enquiries to get in touch.”