Till stolen during robbery

Two men stole money and a till from a shop in Middelton.

At around 9.45pm on Tuesday 2 October 2012, the offenders, wearing dark clothing and balaclavas, walked into the shop on Kirkway, Middleton.

They approached the shop owner who was working behind the counter and demanded he handed over money.

The victim was then pushed up against the wall before he was forced into the store room. Both men took the till and keys to the shop before they got into a car and drove off.

Both are described as being in their late teens or early 20s, around 5ft 10 in tall and of athletic build. One wore a grey hooded jacket, tracksuit bottoms, black trainers, gloves and spoke with a local accent. The second wore a dark coloured hooded top, grey tracksuit bottoms that had three dark stripes at the side of each leg.

Detective Constable Ruth Thompson from Rochdale CID said: “The victim was pushed against the wall and thrown into the store room so he feared for his safety, not knowing what would happen. Thankfully, he was not hurt.

“We believe the car they escaped in was a dark coloured hatchback and was parked on Cheltenham Road. I would ask anyone who may have seen the men in the car either park up or escape to contact police.”

Anyone with information should phone police on 0161 856 4621 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.