A GANG of robbers went on the rampage with baseball bats and threatened to kill members of staff during a terrifying raid at a Suffolk village store.

Brad Jones

A GANG of robbers went on the rampage with baseball bats and threatened to kill members of staff during a terrifying raid at a Suffolk village store.

Police have launched a major search for the two balaclava-clad men, who burst into the Stars n Jars store on Hunts Hill, Glemsford, about 8.50pm on Saturday night and escaped with a cash machine.

Shop owner Tony Mitchell told yesterday how two members of staff - a male and female - and two customers had been in the shop when the raiders struck.

“They backed a Land Rover up to the doors. They started waving the bats about, smashed up some cabinets to frighten everyone. They told them to get out of the way or they would kill them,” he said.

He praised staff for the way they handled the incident, but added: “They are pretty shook up.”

A police spokeswoman said the raiders snatched the till drawer containing a quantity of cash and also took a free-standing ATM machine.

They loaded the machine into the back of a blue Land Rover Defender vehicle, which it is thought was being driven by a third man and which had a beige canopy on the back.

The vehicle was later recovered in Pentlow, near Sudbury. It had earlier been stolen from Nayland.

The store, which had been due to close at 10pm, reopened again yesterday after a clear-up operation through the night. It is the first such incident there.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw the robbery or vehicle to contact them on 01473 613500.