Raiders smash their way OUT of a shop after being locked in
CCTV captured two armed robbers smashing their way out of a shop with machetes after getting trapped inside.
The masked pair were also caught putting a woman shop assistant into a headlock in a McColls store in Denton, Tameside.
They raided the shop, on Thornley Lane South, when staff were opening for the day last December.
But the men got stuck inside the shop after the front doors automatically locked.
One of the robbers then frantically used a hammer to shatter a glass panel in the window, which they crawled through to escape.
They broke into the store at around 6.30am on December 11.
A man carrying a hammer leaped over the counter, putting a woman behind it in a headlock.
Another man joined him, before they forced their way into the office and demanded money.
When they became angry at the amount of time it was taking to get the money, one of them assaulted the woman before attempting to flee.
The front door had automatically locked, so they men had to break their way out of the shop with a hammer.
Det Con Keith Cunniffe, of GMP’s Tameside borough, said: “These masked men, carrying hammers, must have been a terrifying sight for the women simply going about their job.
“The CCTV footage shows how two men threatened and assaulted the women before fleeing from the scene.
“I know this happened a long time ago, but if you recognise the men in the footage, or you were in the area and saw something that could help with our enquiries, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident number 304 of December 11. Reports can also be made anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.