Cash stolen from petrol station

Two men wearing balaclavas stole money from a petrol station in Hopwood.

The offenders walked into the shop at Hopwood Service station on Rochdale Road at around 7.25am on Monday 20 January 2014 and one of them jumped over the counter.
Both demanded the staff member gave them money and they took cash from the till.

Cigarettes were also stolen before the pair ran out on to a canal path, towards Middleton.

One man is described as being white, in his late 20s, 5ft 7in tall, of large build and wore dark clothing as well as a grey hat with red and blue stripes that covered his face.

The second was white, in his mid 20s, 5ft 7in tall, of slim build and wore the same face covering as the first.

Detective Constable Donna Rollinson based at Rochdale Police Station said: “Although these men were not armed, they shouted at the shop worker to give them money, acting in a very intimidating way.

“Once they had got what they wanted, they left.

“Due to the time of the incident, there would have been a number of motorists either filling up their cars with fuel or going into the shop itself. If you saw anything suspicious, please phone police.”

Anyone with information should phone police on 0161 856 4087 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.