Men armed with knives robbed Kidderminster takeaway (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Men armed with knives robbed Kidderminster takeaway

2:43pm Monday 14th May 2012 in Kidderminster By Jennifer Meierhans

TWO men armed with knives and sticks robbed a Kidderminster takeaway.

Staff at Tasty Land on Comberton Hill were ordered to kneel before the raiders stole the takings from behind the counter at around 2.30am on Saturday.

Both robbers wore hooded tops and had scarves across their faces.

One produced a large knife or machete and was also armed with a wooden pole which was about two foot long and could have been a table or chair leg.

The other also had a knife and a black wooden stick. After grabbing the cash they ran off in the direction of the court building in Comberton Place.

Detective Sergeant Tom Harding of Kidderminster CID said that detectives were exploring possible links with two other robberies in the same area which also involved the use of bladed weapons. They were at the B K Minimarket in Hoo Road on the evening of April 5 and at Offmore Stores in Albert Road in the evening on May 1.

Det sgt Harding said: "No-one was hurt in this latest robbery but the two men working there at the time were naturally shaken by what happened.

"Although this happened in the early hours there would still have been people walking back from their night out and they may have seen the offenders on or around Comberton Hill.

"The sticks or poles the robbers were armed with may have been thrown away afterwards so we would be interested in hearing from you if you have found or seen anything like that lying around nearby.

"We strongly believe the robbers are local and that someone must know who they are. If you think you know anything about this then please come forward and tell us or, if you wish to remain anonymous, pass that information on via the independent charity Crimestoppers.

"We take crimes of this nature extremely seriously and we will do everything in our power to catch those responsible and bring them to justice."

Both robbers were white, around 5ft 8inches in height and of slim to medium build. One wore a dark blue hooded top and dark blue tracksuit bottoms. He had a black scarf across his face. The other wore a black hooded top with silver/grey tracksuit bottoms and a grey scarf across his face.

Police are increasing high visibility patrols in the area following the robbery, carrying out an extensive CCTV trawl and conducting forensic tests. Officers are also liaising with local businesses to make them aware and discussing their security options.

Anyone with information for the police should contact DS Harding at Kidderminster CID on 101, quoting incident reference 66-S-120512, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.