Robbers caught on film – police
Police have released CCTV images of two men they are seeking in relation to an armed hold-up at The Craic bar in Christchurch.
Two female staff memberswere forced to open the bar’s safe and pokie machines while guns were pointed at their heads.
Detective Senior Sergeant Darryl Sweeney was confident ‘‘someone will talk’’ after seeing the images.
The armed robbers walked into The Craic on Riccarton Rd at 2.40am Monday, shortly after closing time.
Just hours earlier at 11.20pm, two armed men threatened staff at the Brewers Arms on Papanui Rd.
Sweeney said money was stolen from both premises and staff had been referred to victim support.
‘‘We solve most of these sorts of crimes so someone will talk and in the meantime we just carry on chipping away and we’re still going through all the CCTV images.’’
The Craic bar manager Nick Boyle said the robbery happened about 15 minutes after the last customer left the pub.
He felt there were too many similarities between the two incidents for it to be coincidence.
‘‘They were the same sort of attack . . . in the same night and just after closing time.’’
Boyle said he ‘‘can’t praise his staff enough’’ after they dealt with the two armed attackers.
The women, aged 20 and 40, ‘‘stayed calm and just did exactly what they were told to do’’.
Both had been given time off and the pub had reopened, he said.
Boyle said customers were ‘‘shocked and surprised’’ when they heard about the armed robbery.
Call Christchurch police on 03 363 7400 if you have information.