Security guard robbed at supermarket

POLICE in Essex are hunting gun-wielding robbers who held up a security guard as he made a collection from a supermarket.

The incident happened as the guard left the Morrisons store in Witham, near Colchester, carrying a cash box containing an undisclosed five-figure sum.

Two men, one armed with a handgun, threatened the guard, and were then seen escaping in a Vauxhall Cavalier at about 10.30am yesterday .

They fled to nearby Motts Lane alongside a railway crossing and set fire to the car at around 10.45am.

A worker from an electronics factory was alerted to the fire by a fellow employee and rushed across the train tracks to see if anybody needed help.

Gary Cox, who makes circuit boards at BMT Printed Circuits, banged on the window of the car and looked inside to see if there was anyone inside.

He said: “There was a lot of smoke. I wanted to see if there was anyone in there. There wasn't a lot I could have done.

“The smoke was thick and black and there were red flames coming from the top. It smelt of burning rubber. As I walked away, the tyres exploded.”

Police quickly arrived on both sides of the railway tracks and used sniffer dogs and a helicopter to search for the suspected robbers in the surrounding area.

It is thought the two raiders did not cross the tracks but transferred to another vehicle before fleeing the scene.

Police are now appealing for witnesses who may have seen the men switching to another vehicle.

Yesterday a spokesman for Morrisons confirmed a substantial amount of money had been stolen from a security guard attending to the cashpoint machines at the Witham store.

The spokesman added: “The robbers were armed but thankfully weapons were not used and nobody was injured in the incident.”

Anyone with information about the robbery, or the vehicles used, can contact Witham Police on 01376 551312.