Scream mask terror at off licence
A brave shop boss has told how he feared for his and his fellow victims' lives after they were terrorised by hatchet-wielding robbers in fright masks.
The meat cleaver was slashed through the air perilously close to a customer's leg as one of the "growling" intruders demanded cash from the Wigan off-licence staff.
The intruders wore horror film gear to carry out the attack on Bargain Booze, in Beech Hill.
Franchise owner Carl Wadsworth was stacking shelves and a 24-year-old assistant was cashing up when a man wearing the ghost mask from the film Scream entered the shop at 9.25pm last Saturday.
He was brandishing a meat cleaver and at first walked up to a customer, growled and made a sweeping movement with the cleaver towards the man's calf while demanding cash. Another masked man then appeared at the door.
Mr Wadsworth, 51, said: "I thought it was a joke at first and that the guy in the Scream mask knew the customer and was messing about with him, especially as there were so many other people around in fancy dress that night.
"But then I realised that the cleaver was real and this guy was shouting "give us your ******* money! he also kept making this growling noise like a dog, obviously to make us more frightened."
The customer, a man in his 40s, managed to escape while the second robber was retrieving a rucksack the pair had brought with them.
But the hatchet raider then turned his attention to the young man at the counter.
The victim froze in terror, but Mr Wadsworth calmly handed over the till's 300 contents, along with two bottles of brandy the thug had demanded. The boss put them in a Bargain Booze bag.
The robbers then fled into Gidlow Lane and disappeared across the children's play area.
Mr Wadsworth said: "It was pretty frightening. I've never seen anything like this before apart from stuff on the telly, but to be honest I was more worried for what they might do to the customer and my assistant.
"The customer came back later on to apologise for running away, but I told him he did the right thing. I feel more angry than anything now: these people think they can just walk in here and take your livelihood."
The first robber is described as a white man, about 5ft 8in tall, of medium build and was bald or had a closely-shaven head. He was wearing one glove on his right hand, a Scream mask tied with a bandana, light (possibly grey) trousers and a dark long-sleeved top.
The second was 6ft tall and was wearing a black hooded top with the hood up, another Halloween mask, dark clothing and bright white trainers.
DC Barrie Murphy of Wigan CID said: "These masks can be very scary in the wrong hands and one of the offenders was also brandishing a meat cleaver, so it was a frightening experience for the victims.
"We are doing everything we can to find these men and I would like to reassure our community that it we do catch these men, we will throw the book at them.
"We know that this time of year there may be concerns in our community about trick or treaters who wear costumes, but this is being treated as an isolated incident and I want the public to be reassured that this sort of thing does not happen often.
"I would appeal to anyone with information to come forward, and am particularly keen to hear from any members of the public who saw two men carrying or wearing these distinctive masks in the area at the time of the robbery."
Anyone with information can call Wigan CID on 0161 856 7354 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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Thursday 02 September 2010
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