Armed raid at McDonald's

Armed robbers held staff at a Black Country fast food restaurant at gunpoint before fleeing with £700 in cash.

Two men wielding a rifle struck at McDonald's in Coseley, off the Birmingham New Road, last night.

They ordered the staff to empty the tills before fleeing the restaurant by the front door.

The raid follows a string of attacks on fast food restaurants across the Black Country and is the second time the McDonald's in Ivyhouse Lane has been targeted.

Robbers smashed the drive-thru window and tried to force the safe last month.

Last night's raid happpened just before 10pm. It is believed the robbers pounced while it was quiet as McDonald's said no customers were in the restaurant at the time.

The restaurant re-opened at around 8.10am today, more than two hours late. It was due to close at 11pm last night but shut immediately after the raid.Police have taken statements from staff and are checking CCTV footage.

An employee at the restaurant today said none of the workers who were on duty last night were in today.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jones from Brierley Hill said: "We are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area and may have seen these men making their way to the restaurant or leaving the scene."

McDonalds is on the busy Birmingham New Road and I'm in no doubt that people would have been passing by at the time.

"We are also keen to hear from anyone who saw these men after 10pm. It may well be that they got into a car parked nearby. We urge anyone who saw anything to come forward."

The robbers are black and around 6ft tall. They wore hoods up and had scarves across their faces. One wore a blue hooded top, jeans and a blue scarf.

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 0845 113 5000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.