Co-op hit in latest violent raid

Raiders dumped stolen cash as they fled from police over a fence today in the latest armed raid on a shop in Wolverhampton.

The normally busy Co-op in Penn Road was sealed off today following the raid.

The masked thieves, who were armed with a crow bar, burst into the shop shortly after it opened, terrifying staff in a carbon copy of earlier attacks in the region.

Police found a crowbar and cash lying in the car park behind the raided shop minutes later.

Norman Sheldon, a 62-year-old decorator working on premises near the Co-op, said: "A man who saw it happen told me that there was a police car nearby as the robbers ran out of the store.

"They headed for the car park at the rear and jumped over a fence to escape." Richard Jaggers, manager of the Tesco store opposite the Co-op, said: "I saw several people running out of the Co-op shortly after 6am but I cannot tell you exactly how many.

"This is becoming a bad area for crimes like this. We had two armed robberies in August and November last year. They got away with around £10,000 in total."

A worker at the nearby Lloyds Pharmacy, who asked not to be named, said: "This is happening quite a lot around here and is becoming quite worrying.

"The really disturbing thing is that I am not that surprised that it has happened again." The raid came days after three men burst into Tipton's Co-op store and threatened workers with a crowbar. Staff were bundled into the back of the shop by the robbers, who then fled with a "large quantity of cash".

Women shop assistants were also threatened and "roughed up" during a robbery at Tettenhall Wood Co-op in November after three men threatened to "kill" them and escaped with cash, alcohol and cigarettes.

Days later a shopkeeper was attacked by gun-wielding thugs wearing Halloween masks in Wednesfield. Two yobs burst into Sharma News in Waddens Brook Lane, brandishing a firearm, and demanded cash but fled empty-handed.

Witnesses to today's robbery should call Bilston Street CID on 0845 1135000.