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Shoppers boo armed robbers

Laura Kenny
7/ 3/2008

OUTRAGED shoppers booed armed robbers making their getaway in the latest raid to hit the town on Friday lunchtime.

Stunned townsfolk voiced their disgust when machete-wielding raiders - carrying a boulder - held-up the Nationwide Bank in Middleton Gardens.

A female cashier suffered a suspected broken nose when the crash-helmet wearing robbers shattered a perspex screen before escaping with around £1000 in cash.

As the robbers fled in a maroon Renault Megane, crowds of shoppers jeered, while two council workers attempted to block their escape route - causing the raiders to crash into a parked car.

One witness, who did not wish to be named, said: "People were actually booing the robbers. There were quite a lot of people there about 30 to 50. You should have seen the anger on people's faces."

The incident at 12pm is the second time the bank has been targeted in just three weeks at almost identical times - making it the 13th armed robbery in the town since the new year.

A man threatened to shoot a terrified 61-year-woman during a botched raid on the bank on the 15 February.

The man demanded the cashier fill a bag he thrust at her with cash from the tills but the plucky cashier refused and instead pressed the panic button, forcing the offender to flee empty handed.

The offenders raid are described as two white male and one black male.

Anyone with information is asked to call Rochdale CID on 0161 856 8552 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.