ARMED RAID: BRAVE STAFF PRAISED
Police hail quick-thinking PO workers:
Staff at a Sunderland post office confronted by a gunman and his accomplice have been praised by police after their terrifying ordeal.
Police were last night continuing to question two men after an attempted armed robbery at Ford Post Office, in Hylton Road.
On Monday evening, two men - one carrying a firearm thought to be a shotgun - entered the premises and demanded cash.
But when a staff member refused to hand over money, a shot was fired before the pair fled empty-handed.
The men left the scene in a car that was later found abandoned in St Luke’s Road, along with a firearm and discarded clothing.
Early yesterday morning, two men - aged 31 and 45 - were arrested in Garfield Street, Pallion.
Temporary Superintendent Paul Milner, of Northumbria Police Southern Area Command, paid tribute to the staff for their calm and quick-thinking actions, which allowed police to make the arrests.
He said: “As you would expect, the staff within the post office were distressed, however, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them – commend them – for how they remained calm and immediately contacted the police, which ultimately led to the arrests.
“You have to go back many, many years in Sunderland for something like this, and what I would say is that you will see a lot of police officers in and around the area and these police officers will be there to reassure the public.
“We have recovered what we believe to be the firearm used in the offence and it is a viable shotgun.”
Staff at the post office bravely opened up their business yesterday morning.
Speaking from behind shattered safety glass at the counter, Rob Forster, who runs the post office with wife Joanne, said the couple were “fine” after their ordeal.
He said: “It was distressing at the time, but we’re alright.
“There is obviously a bit of damage – they shot a shotgun in here.”
After the attempted robbery, which happened at around 4.50pm on Monday, police sealed off a section of Hylton Road heading westbound from the Round Robin pub up to a pedestrian crossing beyond the post office.
Police inquiries are continuing.
Any witnesses are asked to ring Northumbria Police on 101 quoting reference 768 160117 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
“It was distressing at the time, but we’re alright” ROB FORSTER