A TERRIFIED young woman working at an Essex hotel was held up at gunpoint and forced to empty a safe before the robber tied her up.The 22-year-old was on duty at the Travel Lodge in London Road, Feering, when she let the man in at 4am yesterday.
By Annie Davidson
A TERRIFIED young woman working at an Essex hotel was held up at gunpoint and forced to empty a safe before the robber tied her up.
The 22-year-old was on duty at the Travel Lodge in London Road, Feering, when she let the man in at 4am yesterday.
He threatened her with a black handgun and forced her to open the safe.
She handed over between £100 and £150 and was then forced into a store room where she was trussed up before the robber made his getaway.
Police said she was physically unhurt but was “highly traumatised” by her ordeal.
Sarah Lynch, manager of the Travel Lodge, said: “We are doing everything possible to prevent anything like this happening again.”
A spokeswoman for Travel Lodge confirmed that an incident had taken place and said: “We are working with the police on the investigation.
“The staff are fine, no-one was hurt.”
The robbery was one of three in Essex and Kent which police believe could be linked.
The first happened at a Holiday Inn on the A2 in Canterbury, Kent, at 11.45pm on Monday.
A man threatened a male member of staff with a handgun before forcing him to hand over £150 from the safe.
Then at 4.40am yesterday, a gunman went into the BP Safeway store at Cranfield Park Road, Wickford.
He threatened a female member of staff with a handgun and grabbed the contents of the till.
Police believe he may have driven away in a grey M registration Volvo salon.
The vehicle was found abandoned in Southend Road, Wickford, soon after the robbery.
It had accident damage and it is believed it may have been in a collision as the robber fled the scene.
He is described as black, between 5ft 9ins and 5ft 10ins tall, with a slim build, wearing a black hooded top with a white rim, dark trousers and carrying a zipped black bag.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Braintree police on 01376 551312 or Basildon police on 01268 532212.
annie.davidson@eadt.co.uk
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